Huron Expositor, 2015-01-14, Page 66 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Because you love your
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Call 1-866-734-9422
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SOUTH HURON
DRIVING SCHOOL
Opening at Clinton District
Christian School
87 Percival St. Clinton ON
FIRST COURSE
Feb 18, 20, 23, 25, 26
3:30-7:30pm
Opening Special $679 HST Incl.
FUTURE COURSE
Mar. 7, 14, 21, 28
8:30am-2pm
Opening Special $679 HST Incl.
TO REGISTER CONTACT:
Kathy Delbridge
519.235.4885 or 519.933.8977
or register online at
www.kathy@shds.ca
Driving instructor: Rick Jonker 519.235.2402
* * After March Break course will be regular price $699 * *
ANNOUNCEMENT
1111111111111111111111
ROYAL L.E PAi E
Heartland Realty
dnW pan dwache 8rnr-d and aparaiad, Orak•r•j+
is pleased to welcome
Sherry McLaughlin to our Clinton office.
Sherry McLaughlin,
Sales Representative
Cell: 519-301-2879
Office: 519-482-3400
Fax: 519-482-3477
Toll Free: 1-888-482-3400
email: sherrym@royallepage.ca
Fred Lobb, Broker/Owner & Rick Lobb, Broker of Record, & the
staff at Royal LePage Heartland Realty take pride in announcing
the addition of Sherry McLaughlin to our highly successful team
of real estate professionals.
Sherry is a lifetime resident of the Huron/Perth county area
and is bringing to the team over 6 years experience in the
Residential/Agriculture/Commercial Sales.
Prior to Transitioning into the Real Estate Market, She worked in
the Agriculture Industry for over 20 years. Sherry has a genuine
passion for nurturing long-lasting client relationships and takes
pride in providing loyal, devoted, steadfast, honest conscious-
ness service to all her clients. Sherry has achieved High Volume
Sales Awards in the past and looks forward, to serving all her
past, and future clients at her new location at 1 Albert St. in
Clinton.
1 Albert Street, Clinton, ON
Website: www.rlpheartland.ca
Teacher contracts top priority for AMDSB in 2015
Laura Cudworth
QMI Agency/For The Signal
Star
After close to 15 years as a
trustee on the Avon Mait-
land District School Board
you could say Randy Wagler
has had quite an education.
As chair of the board, the
veteran trustee will lead his
colleagues into 2015.
At the very top of the pri-
ority list this coming year is
teacher contracts. The Ele-
mentary Teachers' Federa-
tion of Ontario recently held
a strike vote with 95% in
favour. Union president
Sam Hammond called it a
"powerful message." Pre-
mier Kathleen Wynne sug-
gested it's just part of the
bargaining process.
"That reality of a strike
vote has nothing to do with
our ability to come to a
strong collective agree-
ment," Wynne told QMI
Agency.
In the same interview she
said there's no money for
public sector wage or bene-
fit increases.
This is a process Wagler
has been through before. He
is optimistic the central bar-
gaining table will yield posi-
tive results.
That's a process that's
going to take its course. I
think it will take time. No
one is anticipating a strike,
we are anticipating they will
be able to reach a contract
without any disruption," he
said.
The board will negotiate
directly with the ETFO local
over issues specific to the
board but don't have con-
trol over issues like wages.
As Premier Kathleen
Wynne warns there's no
money for wage increases,
school boards will have to
wait and see how that will
translate in terms of overall
education funding.
"It's always a concern. We
know the province isn't
flush with money. We're in a
QMI Agency file photo
Avon Maitland District School
Board trustee chair Randy
Wagler says that ironing out
contracts with teachers will be
a top priority for the board.
good position to deal with
that. We've taken a lot of
steps to be fiscally responsi-
ble," he said.
The board has been care-
ful to spend any one-time
funding from the Ministry of
Education on one-time pro-
jects rather than permanent
programs, Wagler said.
School closures have also
ea orthhuronex I ositor.co
helped the board manage
its space more effectively to
help control costs.
Dwindling enrolment has
been an ongoing problem
for the board. The drop in
pupils swept through ele-
mentary schools and has
now stabilized. That drop in
students is now being felt in
the high schools.
The good news is there
are no accommodation
reviews coming up and no
secondary schools will close
this year.
The board has been look-
ing for new ways to offer a
wide breadth of courses,
which is tricky when there
aren't enough students to
fill the class. At St. Marys
DCVI, teachers have tried
out interdisciplinary
courses to ensure students
can study their areas of
interest while still filling a
classroom.
"We have to meet the
challenge of high quality
education in those smaller
places," Wagler said.
To help ease some of the
burden, the board has been
recruiting international stu-
dents in earnest. Those stu-
dents bring in revenue and
there are intangible benefits
as well, Wagler suggested.
Students here are exposed
to other cultures and have
had opportunities to leave
Canada. A group went to
Germany for example.
One of the school board's
most ambitious projects will
continue into the coming
year. All Grade 7 and 8 stu-
dents will have iPads by
next fall. They will use them
right through their high
school. It's been a bold step
and major shift in how stu-
dents are taught in an unde-
niably digital world.
"I think we've got these
challenges but we're doing
great things," Wagler said.
As the year progresses the
board will be updating its
strategic plan to cover the
next four years. Wagler
doesn't expect any big
changes but there will be
some tweaking. The board
will look for community
input late in 2015.
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NTRGH
DI
EICTORY
You are invited to attend these area churches
ST. THOMAS ANGLICAN
21 Jarvis St., Seaforth
Rector The Rev. Karine Snowdon
Rectory 519-482-9071
Church Office 519-527-1522
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18th 9:30 am
Followed by Coffee Hour
in Support of Huron Church Camp
EVERYONE WELCOME
EGMONDVILLE
UNITED CHURCH
Pastor Steve Hildebrand
Youth Coordinator - Laura Nakamura
WORSHIP JANUARY 18th,10:30 a.m.
Youth Sunday School @ 10:30 a.m.
For more information view our web site
www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com
and Like us on Facebook.
ST. JAMES ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Welcomes You
14 Victoria Street, Seaforth
519-345-2972
Sun. Mass 11 a.m.
ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN
Sat. Mass 5 p.m. • Sun. Mass 9 a.m.
FR. BRIAN McCOLL
NORTHSIDE UNITED
CHURCH
MINISTER MARY FLETCHER
Welcomes You
SUNDAY, JANUARY18th 11 am
Sunday School Nursery Provided
54 Goderich St., W
519-527-1449
�tx' www.cavannorthsideunited.ca
BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH
An Associated Gospel Church
126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982
Rev. Mark Kennedy
Sunday Worship Service 11 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages 9:45 a.m.
Tuesday Evenings
Youth Groups - Junior & Senior High
6:30 to 9 p.m.
Boys & Girls Club 7 p.m.
Wednesdays 7 p.m. Men's & Women's Bible Study
t EVERYONE WELCOME
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth
519-527-0170
Rev Rob Congram
Lorrie. Mann - Organist
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18th,11:00 a.m.
January 24, 5:30 pm Robbie Burns
Pot Luck Supper
Sunday School
(5 Nursery Provided as Needed
ea orthhuronex I ositor.co
helped the board manage
its space more effectively to
help control costs.
Dwindling enrolment has
been an ongoing problem
for the board. The drop in
pupils swept through ele-
mentary schools and has
now stabilized. That drop in
students is now being felt in
the high schools.
The good news is there
are no accommodation
reviews coming up and no
secondary schools will close
this year.
The board has been look-
ing for new ways to offer a
wide breadth of courses,
which is tricky when there
aren't enough students to
fill the class. At St. Marys
DCVI, teachers have tried
out interdisciplinary
courses to ensure students
can study their areas of
interest while still filling a
classroom.
"We have to meet the
challenge of high quality
education in those smaller
places," Wagler said.
To help ease some of the
burden, the board has been
recruiting international stu-
dents in earnest. Those stu-
dents bring in revenue and
there are intangible benefits
as well, Wagler suggested.
Students here are exposed
to other cultures and have
had opportunities to leave
Canada. A group went to
Germany for example.
One of the school board's
most ambitious projects will
continue into the coming
year. All Grade 7 and 8 stu-
dents will have iPads by
next fall. They will use them
right through their high
school. It's been a bold step
and major shift in how stu-
dents are taught in an unde-
niably digital world.
"I think we've got these
challenges but we're doing
great things," Wagler said.
As the year progresses the
board will be updating its
strategic plan to cover the
next four years. Wagler
doesn't expect any big
changes but there will be
some tweaking. The board
will look for community
input late in 2015.
f. 4ii417 ',{+ir'%
Cal:n LUVA ni
S..'i:ir Ju:11uisi
I.ET'5 hhhl f
CA_NC[ 1 I•IISIOky
r{c nra 16741 Witt
5100{1} 7.1 r. Mkt d .;rig.+.
1.884-93P,3333 trwwrttlf►Clr':.Ca