billbelsey.com Open in urlscan Pro
173.236.243.216  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to content


MENU

 * About
 * Bio
 * Contact
 * Docs & Links


BILL BELSEY


"MAKING CONNECTIONS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!"


CATEGORY: PERSONAL


TEACHERS’ WORK SKILLS

October 30, 2023October 30, 2023 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 


Posted in Personal


COUNTING TOOL

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Counting Tool


COUNTING TOOL

Enter a number to count up to:

Count Up
Posted in Personal


INTERVIEW WITH COCHRANE MAYOR JEFF GENUNG -MAY 3, 2020 MR. BS TOUR DE COCHRANE

February 10, 2023February 10, 2023 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 


Posted in Personal


COCHRANE GETS AN OFFICIAL TREE AND DECLARES ARBOR DAY

June 3, 2022June 3, 2022 by admin
 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 * 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   






Mr Belsey’s Grade 6 class from RancheView School visited the Grandfather Tree,
which became their inspiration to lobby for the white spruce to be named
Cochrane’s official tree. (Photo by Bill Belsey)

Listen to this article00:03:43

What do Manitoba, South Dakota, and Cochrane all have in common?

No, it’s not the set-up for a joke – the answer is that all three share the
white spruce as their official tree.

Also from this point forward, the first Saturday in June will be designated as
Cochrane Arbor Day, much to the delight of a Grade 6 class who lobbied Cochrane
Town council hard for the decision. The students made an impassioned
presentation to them on March 21, ending with a rousing all-class plea: “We are
the future. We can be leaders in the fight to save our world. We want to be part
of creating a healthier world. Please hear us!”

The message must have sunk in.

At their meeting May 24, council declared the first Saturday of June as Arbor
Day, beginning on June 4 this year.

In the same motion, as also requested by Bill Belsey’s class from RancheView
School, council declared the white spruce as the official tree of Cochrane.

“I’m really proud of what they’ve done and they’re pretty proud too,” Belsey
said. “It’s not often students in Grade 6 get a chance to get a local government
to accept their proposals, and actually have an Arbor Day in Cochrane and
officially designate the white spruce, and to pave the way for students to plant
trees in their school yard, so, they’re pretty proud,” he said.

Council went ahead with declaring the white spruce the official tree, going
against the recommendation from administration, who had previously suggested the
Town initiate a public engagement process aimed at ensuring Cochrane residents
had the opportunity to weigh in on the choice of tree.

“Through this engagement we will be able to build upon the already passionate
interest of our residents in our green spaces, highlighting the importance of
urban forest principles, thereby arriving at a future official tree designation
that is reflective of all input received,” stated a staff report at the May 24
meeting.

“Administration will work on development and implementation of an engagement
strategy, with the goal of having engagement feedback received and subsequent
recommendations brought back to council before the end of Q4, 2022.”

Mayor Jeff Genung favoured moving ahead.

“I would be more inclined to just declare the white spruce the official tree of
Cochrane tonight and move forward with something that we’ve heard from the Grade
6 class – it is a significant tree in our community,” he said.

“I’ve not heard from one other individual in Cochrane for as long as I’ve been
here, who wants to declare a tree of any kind in Cochrane.”

In the end, council agreed with the mayor and the Grade 6 class to go ahead with
the designation.

“This is a really good example of how democracy works, for the youth of our
community and for anybody in our community,” said Coun. Alex Reed.

Belsey’s class went on a hike to visit the Grandfather Tree in Cochrane Ranche
Park, which is a white spruce, and the inspiration for their choice.

The white spruce assumed the role of Manitoba’s provincial tree in 1991 for its
extensive geographic range and contribution to the local landscape.

White spruce trees are also plentiful across the Canadian landscape as specimen
trees, hedges or windbreaks on residential properties, and along streets and
seashores, due to their salt tolerance. 

The LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) website describes the
white spruce as “a legacy tree that holds exceptional cultural, historical, and
intrinsic value, contributing to a natural landscape in many ways over time. The
white spruce (Picea glauca), a geographically abundant tree species found east
to west across the country, as far north as the arctic tree line, and as far
south as the northern states, is a Canadian legacy.”

Spray Lake Sawmills is donating 300 white spruce trees to the school project.

Posted in Personal


BULLYING AWARENESS WEEK CITY OF CALGARY PROCLAMATION

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Posted in Personal


GRADE 6 STUDENTS SHARE THOUGHTS ON UKRAINE

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Author of the article: Patrick Gibson
Publishing date: Apr 06, 2022  

Zoe Danielczak and the rest of Mr. Belsey’s Grade 6 class at RancheView School
speak to Natalia and her son Serge in central Ukraine via Zoom. PHOTO BY BILL
BELSEY

A local Grade 6 class had a particularly unique window into the war in Ukraine,
communicating via video link with a Ukrainian student of a similar age.

Bill Belsey’s class at RancheView School chatted with 13-year-old Serge from his
hometown of Kirovohrad in central Ukraine last month. Serge was joined by his
mother Natalia, who was working as a school principal when the war broke out.

“I think it’s kind of cool that we got to talk to somebody that’s actually in
the middle of the war,” said Grade 6 student Tristinn Joshee.

“It’s kind of cool to know, but it’s also kind of sad, because at the end there
were air raid sirens. I just feel bad for them.”

It was evident those air-raid sirens struck a chord with the whole class.

“When we were on the Zoom call we could actually hear the siren in the
background which was a little scary,” Ashley Hunt explained.

“When they said that they had to go, I of course felt scared and sad for them
because they said that they are in the bomb shelter for a very long period of
time, like a few hours.”

“It felt a little bit sad at the end, because they heard air-raid sirens and
that’s why they had to leave,” added classmate D’Angelo Austin.

Aliyah Halge said the Ukrainian pair were calm despite their difficult
circumstances.

“When they heard the air raid sirens they were so polite and said ‘Can we please
wrap this up because the air raid sirens are going on’,” she said.

“They were just really polite, and I felt sad that they had to go.”

That sentiment was shared across Mr. Belsey’s class: gratitude for the Ukrainian
mother and son in taking time to speak with them.

“I just really appreciated them taking the time to talk to us even though
they’re in a very scary situation,” explained Pavelle Smith.

“I just thought that it was a great learning experience, and it was good to know
what was happening in Ukraine. I think they’re doing a great job fighting back
against Putin.”

Her classmate Dani Pereira said “I was a little upset because they had to go to
the bunker and they still had to sacrifice their time to the Zoom.”

“It’s really nerve-wracking because nobody knew, like, before Mr. Belsey texted
Natalia, everyone was a little worried if she made it in time with Serge too.”

Added Belle Carr, “They didn’t have to go on Zoom with us and answer questions
but they did anyway, so I think it was very nice.”

The discussion left some students with feelings of gratitude for the peace in
their own hometown.

“When we were Zooming with Natalia and Serge it was really interesting, and it
also made me sad to think that we have all these freedoms and theirs are kind of
being taken away,” explained Emelia Alksne.

“We have this nice school where we get to come and learn everyday. Natalia is a
principal of hers and her school has been destroyed and she kind of had to just
sit back and watch us learn.”

“I think it was really nice of them to take the time to tell us what was going
on there.”

Scarlett Kinning called it “an honour” to talk to the two.

“They’re in the middle of a war so it was kind of difficult for them to get on a
Zoom call and answer questions about bombs and answer questions about all those
types of upsetting things, and then go to a bomb shelter after while our class
gets to come and learn,” she said.

“I think it’s really upsetting, and an honour for what we have for the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well.”

Their teacher Mr. Belsey said Natalia is a friend and teaching colleague of many
years.

“Natalia was a classroom teacher for some time. Until the war, she was a
principal of a large school in her Ukrainian city. I check in with her every
day,” Belsey noted in a March 31 email.

“Although the airport near her city has been bombed by the Russians, she and
Serge are staying in their home for now. Should they decide to leave, my wife
and I have let her know that they could stay with us here in Cochrane if they
wished to do so.”

The class continues to learn about the unfolding conflict as part of current
events in social studies.

“I just think that Ukraine is acting well in the war and is able to push back
Russia really well, and I think that’s really good,” said Dawson Hull.

When the Times caught up with the class March 24, Google Earth (an interactive
3-D mapping program) was being projected onto a large screen. The class had been
digitally exploring the borders of Ukraine, including the geopolitical
differences between neighbors like Belarus or Poland.

“I thought it was really cool that we could learn about the Ukraine in social
studies too just before when we talked to Natalia,” Elena Miller explained.

“I feel like that helped us understand the war when we talked to her.”

Classmates also expressed sympathy for Russian civilians.

“I hope that the Ukranians are safe, and I hope that Putin will stop attacking
Ukraine, but I know that a lot of people are blaming the Russian people, and
it’s not their fault it’s fully Putin,” Ashley Hunt said.

“But then people are blaming the Russian people and they’re getting mad at
Russian people, when it isn’t their fault. They’re suffering too.”

“Honestly, I wish that Putin was thrown off of what he was doing,” added Dani
Pereira.

“I know that many Russian people are suffering. We’re trying to see what’s going
to happen and if everything gets even worse, I hope we’ll send in peacekeepers.”

An appreciation for the first-hand nature of their dialogue with Ukranians was
clear.

“You can hear about the things on the news and see what’s happening and still
feel sad and upset about what’s happening, but it’s different hearing it when
someone’s experiencing it first-hand,” said Zoe Danielczak.

“I think talking to someone that’s coming straight from the source of whatever
is happening in the world (is best), like talking to someone where a lot of the
war is raging on close to them,” added Ethan Schumlick.

“What amazed me is she said that she heard troops were moving in closer to five
kilometers from the city that she lives in, and I think it’s just crazy hearing
stuff that’s coming straight from the source.”

Whether gratitude, fear, excitement or sympathy, it was evident the Zoom chat
resonated with the Grade 6 class and is not a moment they’re likely to forget.

“It felt like a very special moment because I don’t think other classes are able
to talk to someone in Ukraine like that and ask them what it is like being in a
war and what’s happening around them,” noted Aliyah Halge.

Added classmate Pavelle Smith, “I felt very emotional while talking to them,
because they were quite nervous…well, not nervous, but worried a little bit.”

“They were still good to talk to, and I just feel like it was a great experience
for us to actually know what it’s like.”

Posted in Personal


GRADE 6 STUDENTS HIGHLIGHT CULTIVATION, PRESERVATION OF TREES IN COUNCIL
CHAMBERS

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 




Author of the article:Patrick Gibson
Publishing date:Mar 29, 2022  •  March 29, 2022  

A delegation of Grade 6 students spoke in council chambers recently on
stewardship of the Earth, with particular regard to forests.

One by one, students from Mr. Belsey’s class at RancheView School took to the
podium to share their research on the role trees play in the atmosphere,
biodiversity, industry and community before offering proposals for the continued
health of local forests.

“It was really cool to talk in front of the councillors and the mayor and deputy
mayor because I’m not a very confident speaker and it was good to break the ice
and speak out loud to a bigger audience,” said one of the presenters Pavelle,
reflecting on the meeting three days later from their classroom at the Sunset
Ridge school.

From across the table they share, Ashley said she’s more comfortable with
speaking but appreciated the opportunity for the same reason.

“I like public speaking, I really enjoy it,” she said.

“I thought it was a really good experience and I’d like to do that again.”

The class structured their presentation to be like one might expect of a
developer or other large organization. Speaking in a formal tone, the class
opened by thanking council, administration and those in attendance, spent a few
minutes summarizing their background research, before laying out a set of clear,
concise requests.

“You guys did a great job up here. It’s super nerve racking, I can relate to how
you probably all felt,” said councillor Marni Fedeyko, overseeing the March 21
meeting as deputy mayor.

“Kudos to Mr. Belsey, you obviously have some very caring and
environmentally-caring students.”

The class had four proposals: a town map of areas where students would be able
to plant trees on, the white spruce declared the official tree of Cochrane, the
first Saturday in June declared as ‘Arbor Day’ in Cochrane, and that council
write a letter of support for a national date.

Cochrane’s most famous tree (the class used the names ‘Grandmother Tree’ and
‘Grandfather Tree’ interchangeably) is a white spruce.

“It’s a huge tree that’s been here for like, three hundred years!” noted Reid,
another classmate Gabe echoing his words almost exactly.

Their presentation was nuanced, particularly for a delegation of 11-year-olds.
With the tree planting map for example, they referred to a need to stay in
communication with the town and school district’s maintenance departments. It
also credits the forestry industry’s impact on the local economy (Spray Lake
Sawmills was listed as their ‘project partner’).

Ryan called the experience “amazing.”

“Because people got to present to the whole town council,” he noted.

“It felt good, like we were making a difference,” Emelia added.

The positive feelings sounded mutual.

“Thank you for your presentation, I thought it was great,” said councillor Alex
Reed.

“I did learn something new as well.”

‘Learning something new’ was a similar theme from all of the councillors.

“ I had no idea that blue jays use the spruce trees for their fringes, that’s an
interesting fact. And that the boreal forests seed the clouds with moisture,”
said councillor Susan Flowers.

“So there’s lots of learnings here for us today as well as you’re sharing your
passion and your enthusiasm… We’re sure soaking up the information and you gave
us lots to think about.”

Councillor Tara McFadden agreed.

“Very informative, and really well put together and you all did a great job
presenting and I want to thank you and your parents and your teacher for all
participating in how we make decisions,” she said.

“As much as I learned great things about trees, it was also just great to be
reminded how important and how energized our youth are.”

The class appeared during a ‘Committee of the Whole’, a more conversational
format of council meeting where binding decisions aren’t made. Their proposals
will be discussed by councillors and town staff at an upcoming ‘regular’
meeting.

Mayor Jeff Genung said he was “super impressed” with the presentation and that
the proposals were particularly timely.

“Not only are you learning about government today, but you’re actually utilizing
your government in making positive change, making good change in your
community,” he said.

“I think that from my perspective, this is a good idea. We need to have more of
these ideas come to us and I look forward to the discussion when we get together
and make the decision.”

The class said they appreciated not getting too much of a ‘grilling’.

“I thought the councillors and the deputy mayor and mayor were very kind and
respectful when we were presenting, because I definitely know I probably messed
up a couple times, and they were not, they weren’t judging us,” Pavelle
explained.

“So it was a very comfortable environment to present in, and so I felt way
better presenting in front of them than someone who would judge if I messed up.”

The timeline for their requests isn’t yet clear, but in the meantime the class
continues to study forests in science class and government in social studies.

“One thing I thought that was kind of cool that I learned this year about trees
is that seventy per cent of the Earth’s moisture comes from trees,” noted Zoe.

“I was super surprised to learn that when someone cuts down a tree and the stump
is left over, it can be used as a transport type of thing: It can move water to
a different area,” added Dawson.

D’Angelo said they watched a video from a popular YouTuber involving a
‘challenge’ to get millions of trees planted.

“We studied about trees almost the whole year in science, and we watched a video
about Arbor Day in the U.S. by Mr. Beast,” he said.

It sounds like the class took to the message.

“Our inspiration, it kind of came from a video because we were watching other
people plant trees and what they were doing to make a difference and we were
like ‘Oh yeah, we should do that,’” added Emelia.

The class is hoping they’ll be able to begin a large tree planting project at
their school in June.

Said their teacher Mr. Belsey, “If we get permission from Rocky View Schools and
the town and if they show us where we’re allowed to plant, (a sawmill staff
member is) going to come up here with all the seedlings in a truck and he’s
going to help us show us how to plant them properly.”

Posted in Personal


ARBOR DAY IN COCHRANE CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Committee of the Whole sees the council review everything from a Grade 6 class’
request to recognize White Spruce as the town’s official tree to population
growth and bike paths
by Jessica Lee Mar 23, 2022 12:00 PM


The Grade 6 class of RancheView School gave a presentation to the council March
21 about the importance of trees in the community at a committee of the whole
meeting. (Town of Cochrane)
Listen to this article00:06:03

The Grade 6 class of RancheView School presented to the council, under the
leadership of their teacher Mr. Bill Belsey, about the importance of trees in
the community in a March 21 Committee of the Whole meeting. 

In their presentation, they asked the council to map out areas where students
can plant trees near or on the school grounds and that
council consider declaring the White Spruce as Cochrane’s official tree because
of the popular 300-year-old ‘Grandfather Tree’ of the same variety at Cochrane
Ranche.

The Grade 6 class also seeks to declare the first Saturday in June as Arbor Day
in Cochrane and hopes the council will consider writing a letter of support to
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to create a National Arbor Day. 

Mayor Jeff Genung said he was impressed with the class’s presentation and
forward-thinking mentality.

“The asks that you have before us are I think very timely,” he said, citing the
trees being taken down along Cochrane Ranche where the highway is being
widened. 

“We were talking about what do we do and how can we replace trees like that. So,
you’ve brought forward a solution to that for us that we can utilize.”

Whether the class can plant trees on the grounds of RancheView school would be a
decision for Rocky View Schools to make, however, explained Genung. Though, they
could consider mapping out areas in public parks and spaces for the class
initiative 

“As much as I learned some great things about trees, it was also just great to
be reminded of how important and energized our youth are,” added Coun. Tara
McFadden.

Council received the presentation as information and expects a decision at a
future meeting.

Posted in Personal


GREAT CANADIAN CYCLE CHALLENGE: BILL BELSEY JULY 2021

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Posted in Personal


TRACKING SHIPPING VESSEL

May 21, 2021May 21, 2021 by admin
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Browser does not support embedded objects.
Visit directly www.vesselfinder.com
Browser does not support embedded objects.
Visit directly www.vesselfinder.com
Posted in Personal


POSTS NAVIGATION

Older posts


CATEGORIES

 * Alberta
 * Arctic
 * Audio
 * Book
 * Bullying
 * Canadian Armed Forces
 * Cochrane
 * Cyberbullying
 * Cycling
 * Education
 * Family
 * Fishing
 * Food
 * Friends
 * Global Education
 * Hiking
 * images
 * Interviews
 * Media
 * Mosaic Column
 * Music
 * Nature
 * Personal
 * Photography
 * Podcasts
 * Presentations
 * Rocky Mountains
 * Special People
 * Sports
 * Technology
 * Travel
 * Video
 * Writing


RECENT POSTS

 * Teachers’ Work Skills
 * Counting Tool
 * Alberta Waterfalls
 * Interview with Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung -May 3, 2020 Mr. Bs Tour de
   Cochrane
 * Baseball Bats for Christmas, Written and Read by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak
 * Cochrane gets an official tree and declares Arbor Day
 * Bullying Awareness Week City of Calgary Proclamation
 * We Speak for the Trees
 * Grade 6 students share thoughts on Ukraine
 * Grade 6 students highlight cultivation, preservation of trees in council
   chambers



This Website was created by: Bill Belsey.



 * Withdrawal Agreement Who Voted
 * What Was The Peace Agreement Between Egypt And Israel Called
 * What Is An Friendly Agreement
 * What Does Spousal Agreement Mean
 * Vps Enterprise Agreement 2020 Mobility
 * Va Master Labor Agreement
 * Under Agreement Chatham Ma
 * Tri-Party Custodial Agreement
 * Three Party Payment Agreement
 * Texas Residential Real Estate Listing Agreement Exclusive Right To Sell
 * Temporary Housing Agreement Template
 * Sundry Agreement
 * Sub Verb Agreement Test
 * St Vincent`s Care Services Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2014
 * Singapore-Us Intergovernmental Agreement On Fatca
 * Shareholders Agreement Before Incorporation
 * Service Dog Agreement
 * Schengen Agreement Police
 * Sample Letter Of Termination Of Service Agreement India
 * Safe Agreement Template