Due to severe flooding in July, Barnett House will remain closed until early 2027.
The ATA Library is still open and providing resources to members.
Staff are working from home and continue to serve members online and by phone.
The Southern Alberta Regional Office (SARO) in Calgary is unaffected and conducts business per usual.
Student artwork will soon grace some of the products available in the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) merch store. The winning entries from this spring’s “My school! My future!” student artwork contest were selected over the summer and will soon sit alongside products featuring current slogans such as “#Red4EdAB” and “I Y Public Education.”
From nearly 400 entries, the top 10 finalists were selected and submitted to the Provincial Executive Council for the final choice of the top two. Artwork submitted by students Grace, Grade 10, and Leia, Grade 6, were the top picks, each winning a $250 gift certificate to Mastermind Toys, provided by Belairdirect Insurance.
Along with winning the gift cards, the two student artists will also see their drawings appear on apparel that will soon be available for purchase at the ATA merch store.
Grace learned about the contest through her art teacher. She says her drawing refers to the growth students experience at their school.
“It’s your future and you’re going to grow with your future,” said Grace. “To me, growth is like plants in real life and the book represents the actual school. So, I have a tree growing out of a book.”
Leia took a more structured approach to her artwork. Based on other designs she has seen and liked, she began with the “My school! My future!” logo at the centre and surrounded it with images she felt reflected learning.
“I kind of just added things that typically represent school,” said Leia. “I just kept adding things until I decided that if I added more, it would look weird.”
ATA executive staff officer Chris Gonsalvez, who served on the selection committee, expressed his pride in seeing how many talented students we have in our public school system.
“The variety and amount of effort these kids put into their entries is a clear indication of the appreciation our students have for the work being done by their teachers.” said Gonsalvez. “We had a difficult task narrowing down the entries to the top ten but, fortunately, we had a strong team of four staff members, including a member of the ATA’s professional design team.”
The purpose of the contest was to tap into the artistic talents of students to create a message that celebrates the work being done in Alberta’s classrooms. Gonsalvez says it’s important, when visiting the ATA merch store, to give teachers the option of wearing something that connects them to the most important part of their job—the kids.
“We wanted an authentic message—a true representation of the pride students feel for their teachers and school,” he said.
