The Citizen, 2010-03-11, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010.
THE EDITOR,
Once again I would like to
say how proud I am to be
living in this community of
Brussels. Now that our part as
parents and community in the
Accommodation Review
Process is over, I want to say
“well done!!”
Brussels school was well
represented by concerned
parents and community
members in every meeting.
So no matter what the
outcome, we can be proud
we put our best food
forward and stood behind
each other throughout this
process.
I would also like to extend a
huge thank you to Jim Prior,
Charlie Hoy and Glenda
Morrison, our ARC
representatives, as well as
Bernie MacLellan our rep
from Huron East, for the
outstanding job you have
done in representing our
community. Our heartfelt
thank you just isn’t enough!
The amount of time and
energy you put into this
project went well above our
expectations, and for that we
commend you. I encourage
everyone to relay your thanks
to these people.
I would also like to say
thank you to Grey Parent
Council, ARC Reps and
anyone from the Grey
Community who worked
together with us in this
process. You were a great
asset to have as we worked
towards the best for both our
children and our schools in
Huron East.
Our schools are a huge part
of our community, but
through this process the heart
of our community was even
bigger.
Dawn Hastings, Brussels.
Letter to the editor
Ok, deal
There were nine tables of euchre in play on Saturday at the Brussels Legion.
The Legion also held a dance on Sunday night featuring the Georgian Bay
Islanders. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Pending approval of anapplication to bring extraenergy-related curriculum toSt. Marys DCVI, the Avon
Maitland District School
Board hopes to have
Specialist High Skills Major
(SHSM) programs in each of
its nine secondary schools by
2012 – or maybe even next
year.
SHSM course pathways
allow Ontario high school
students to put emphasis on a
particular career path or
vocation, with courses in
traditional subjects skewed to
relate to that area of study.
There is also a co-op workplacement aspect to all SHSMs, with studentsinterning at area businesses.School boards must applyto the Education Ministry for
extra funding for particular
SHSMs in their high schools.
Since the SHSM initiative
was introduced four years
ago, the Avon Maitland board
has achieved approval for a
number of ongoing SHSMs.
Most recently, a
cosmetology program was
approved for F.E. Madill
Secondary School in
Wingham and, according to
education superintendent
Jodie Baker, there’s a strong
possibility the board will
receive an additional$130,000 to aid in the 2010-11 start-up of that program.Baker updated trustees onthe board’s SHSM programsduring a regular meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 23. She
explained that Avon
Maitland’s most recent
funding application – for an
energy-related program at St.
Marys DCVI – will, if
approved, finally enable the
board to offer at least one
SHSM in each of its
secondary schools.
Baker was uncertain if the
application would be
considered for the 2010-11
school year or the year after.
She added that approval of the
application may depend onthe ability of the board todemonstrate a willingness ofthe St. Marys employmentcommunity to support theSHSM.
“It’s wide open,” she said,
when asked about the specific
needs of the application. “If
you can find partnerships to
make it work, and show
there’s support in the
community, you usually have
a better chance.”
Even without an SHSM to
call its own, St. Marys already
plays a prominent role in the
promotion of the program by
the board – and potentially
other boards across the
province.
The town’s Grand Trunk
railway bridge walkway
provided the setting for a
video, produced by andstarring Avon Maitlandemployee and some-timeGoderich-based actor WesMcVicar. The video – actuallypart of a series that also
includes segments to promote
specific Avon Maitland
SHSMs – has drawn the
attention of Education
Ministry officials, who are
encouraging other boards to
use it as a promotional
tool.
“It’s not a money-maker at
all for the board because it
was, partly, funded by
Education Ministry money so
they really have a right to use
it,” commented McVicar in a
recent interview. “But we’re
just happy to have the
Avon Maitland logo on it
and to maybe have people
across the province watchingit.”The Education Ministrymoney was part of the OntarioYouth ApprenticeshipProgram, which works with
the board’s SHSM program to
promote apprenticeships.
Other funding came from the
board’s arms-length
fundraising agency, the
Foundation for Enriching
Education Huron-Perth – for
which McVicar works as
associate director
McVicar says he’ll use the
video series locally to
approach area businesses for
potential apprenticeship and
work placement
opportunities. The videos can
be viewed on the Avon
Maitland website at
www.yourschools.ca
By Stew SlaterSpecial to The CitizenEnergy-related curriculum introduced to AMDSB