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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1981-06-17, Page 3Rumours about the future of Walton Public School were put to rest I ast week with the Huron County Board of Education's decision to "twin" the school with Seaforth Public next year. Marie Toll, principal of the four room school since it opened in 1962, retires this year and there had been fears that because of the high cost of administration for the small school, it would eventually be closed. .(An attempt by the board to close the school in 1978 met with stiff opposition by parents and was dropped.) ' Under the new plan, worked out by Mrs. Toll and SPS principal Paul Carroll, the schools will be amalgamated for admin- istrative and operating purposes but each will have its own location, teachers and Big crowd thanks Murray Gaunt parent and community connections. A vice-principal will be in charge day to day at Walton and Mr. Carroll says he expects to be at the school perhaps three times a week, in half day blocks. The Walton principal, echoing comments of parents whose children have attended Walton, called it "a nice school, a good setting for little people. I'm very happy about it (the new plan)." A newsletter went to parents of children in both schools. Friday explaining the changes, but Mrs. Toll said she'd had no reaction from parents yet. Mrs. Toll said she had been concerned both about the spending which would have been necessary to bring a new fully qualified principal into Walton and about the school being closed eventually because of costs, but now "we've been assured it won't be." Because of board spending cutbacks, Walton school was slated to lose a half-time teacher in the fall. The arrangement with Seaforth now means extra school services like a library, physed, special ed and music will still be available to Walton students. "I can't see any negative aspects really," Mrs. Toll said. Calling the arrangement one school in two places, SPS principal Paul Carroll said the 90 students at Walton should benefit from the access to specialist teachers from SPS and at the same time Walton home room teachers will have more time with their kids. The new plan means Walton students in the country's smallest school will have "exactly the same services as any other student in the country", Mr. Carroll said, including access to special experiences, like the peer tutoring program SDHS students have been involved in at SPS. The Seaforth principal paid tribute to Mrs. Toll for her contribution in working out the plan. "Her willingness to look at all alternative' .s guarantees that school will exist. It'll only be closed if parents close it." The board will probably appoint a vice- principal at Walton who has experience in primary teaching and part A of the principal's course, Mr. Carroll said. No teacher currently at either school has both those qualifications. Hall story a soap opera Continued from page 1 had been raised in 12 months, a figure brought down to $12,000 after expenses had been taken off. new site was to no avail as at the end of the evening, 32 people voted to renovate the present hall. That didn't happen however, until after much conversation, a motion and two amendments. A motion was made to go ahead with a new building on either the present site or on a new location. An amendment was then made to, that motion that people vote on three choices--renovate old hall, new hall on old1ocation or new hall on new location. Short A second amendment was made to that motion that the option of forgetting the whole idea and leaving the hall as it was, be added as a fourth choice. In the end, the people voted on four choices--do nothing, build on a new site, rebuild on present site or renovate present hall. The question of rebuilding on the same site was cancelled, after the first vote, the question of doing nothing cencelled on the second and in the end it was a close vote with 32 voting to renovate the present hall. and 28 voting to build on a new site. So the people of Blueyale are back at square one and a new story begins. Shots by Evelyn Kennedy Continued from page 1 Home Week and a number of events are planned to take place during that time. * * * * * Our Canadian mail service is something to be wondered about. When one mails a letter or parcel, first class, it is natural to assume that such first class mail will receive priority handling. It appears that such is not always the case. Letters mailed in Toronto have been two weeks, and more, in reaching their destination in Winnipeg. Yet, The Brussels Post, 2nd class mail published on Wednes- day, is frequently delivered in Winnipeg on Friday afternoon of the same week, as it was while I was 'there. Certainly we are not complaining about the newspaper being sent so promptly on its way. That is good. But considering that folks in other centres much nearer often receive theirs much later and that it takes longer for first class mail to be processed, suggest that something is ser- iously wrong with our mail service. * * * * * The sexual abuse of young children continues. It is shocking to read, almost daily, of such cases. The public have at last raked their voices against the inadequate sentences handed out for such offences. It was encouraging to read recent ly that a man, who pleaded guilty to a brutal attack on a 33-month old girl in attempted rape, while baby sitting the child, had his 2 1/2 year senten ce doubled by the Ontario Court of Appeal. Whether stiffer sentences for such acts will influence those with such intentions to curb their criminal urges remains to be seen. Growth is WMS theme Jeanne Ireland remembers Continued from page 1 three years. After a stint at No. 6 in Morris Township from 1952 to 1957 she decided she was going to be a mother and raise a family. Then in 1967 she went back to teaching, with a kindergarten class at the Brussels Public School where she's been ever since. As one who has had the experience of teaching all eight grades at one time and the much bigger classes of just one grade, Jeanne says with all those grades in one room she doesn't think they had as much work to cover at one time as students do now. She sometimes wonders with the smaller amount, if the children didn't learn their work more thoroughly that way. She says, however, that there's good and bad points about both systems. In the rural area, "you get to know your students really well but then there's the hardships of the rural school such as heating and plumbing, (outdoor plumbing that is)," As for the Brussels school, she points out she didn't have to wade through snowdrifts to get there. Not like her first school when the snowdrifts were 'so high they had to Make a new road throUgh a field and she skiied home for the Easter holidays. The first year Jeanne had kindergarten she found it to be a big change to get down to the children's level. The children haven't learned to hide and they just express whatever they're feeling, some- thing which had made her wish "1001 times" that she could have written down something a child said. MORE GROWN UP "I think the children are more grown-up today," she says adding that she's not in favor of too much television-- that she likes to see children out playing. "I find that the children are poor. listeners. I think this has developed from television. They can tune out what they don't want to hear and they think they can do the same with the teacher." When she started teaching kindergarten she had just a little bit of material, but over the years she had gathered so much she almost needs a moving %rah. "1 imagine I'll miss it," she says of her years as a school teacher: "But I want to enjoy MySelf. I don't know what I'm going to do yet." Whatever the future holds for Jeanne Ireland she can be content with what she has accomplished in her life so far. THE. BRUSSELS. POST, JUNE. 17, 1081 A3 Walton school is twinned BY MARGARET ARBUCKLE It was a night for laugh- ter and reminiscing last Thursday when nearly 1,300 people turned out to pay tribute to Murray Gaunt for his many years as MPP for Huron-Bruce. Huron-Bruce Liberal As- sociation President John Mc- Kenzie of Tiverton who acted as chairman for the apprecia- tion night ceremonies in Teeswater said the large attendance showed Mr. Gaunt what the people of Huron-Bruce really think of him. Mr. Gaunt told the gather- ing of friends, former col- leagues and staff he was overwhelmed by the large crowd. He had not been in favor of the event, he said, because "I owe the people of Huron-Bruce much more than they owe me--and I still feel that way." He said the evening brought back memories from his political career: the night in 1962 when he won a keenly contested Liberal nomina- tion; his first electoral win in the 1962 by-election and 10 months later when he won his second election by only 28 votes after the official re- count. He thanked the people of Huron-Bruce for the oppor- tunity to serve and represent them for those 19 years and said that helping people made it worthwhile. He said his political career will be the highlight of his life. Mr. Gaunt expressed sin- cere appreciation for the gifts he and his family were given that night on behalf of the people of Huron-Bruce: the gold chains for his son and daughter, Stephen and Stephanie; the family ring for his wife, Pat; and the man's diamond ring which was presented to him. The family also received a gold mantel clock with mu- sical chimes. Many of Mr. Gaunt's friends and former col- leagues from Queen's Park attended to pay tribute. Most had amusing anecdotes to tell about "the man with the heartiest laugh in the House," but all honored his dedication and selflessness. Eddie Sargent, member for Grey-Bruce, said he had "never met a man who didn't like Murray Gaunt" and also, "You can't hope to change the whole world, but you can change that small corner upon which you live." He said Mr. Gaunt had done that. Bob McKessock, provin- cial member of for Grey, told the crowd that with Mr. Gaunt there were no excuses and "there is not a selfish bone in his body". He added that the constituents of Huron-Bruce "couldn't have done a better job of replacing Murray", saying that Mur- ray Elston is proving to „be equally friendly and helpful at Queen's Park. Jack Riddell, Huron-Mid- dlesex MPP, said Mr. Gaunt has a pair of shoes anyone would like to follow (in)". Provincial Treasurer Frank Miller said "a government is only as good as the people you elect," and the people of Huron-Bruce were lucky to have had a man of Mr. Gaunt's calibre to represent them. Liberal leader Stuart Smith said Mr. Gaunt was always respected in the House for his "advice, views, humanity and sense of what was right for people." Dr. Smith said Mr. Gaunt is genuinely a product of his fellow citizens and commun- ity and is missed greatly in the caucus and in the Legi- slature. Murray Elston, MPP for Huron-Bruce, introduced several other dignitaries on hand to show their apprecia- tion. Among them were former Liberal leader Bob Nixon; David Peterson, MPP for London-Centre; Hugh. Edighoffer, MP for Perth; Murray Cardiff, MP for Huron-Bruce; and former MP Bob McKinley. Many letters and tele- grams of congratulations to Mr. Gaunt were received. Among them was a letter from the prime minister, Pierre Trudeau and a framed scroll from the federal agri- culture minister, Eugene Whelan. The Maitland Presbyterial of the W.M.S. of the Pres- byterian Church met on May 25 in St. Andrew's Presby- terian Church, Molesworth. The theme of the afternoon session was "Renewal" and of the evening session "Growth." The president, Mrs. Ross Cumming, Luck- now presided. Mrs. N.J. MacMurchy, president of Molesworth W.M.S extended a welcome to all. Music by MolesWorth ladies was enjoyed. Mrs. G. Wall, Wingham, recording secretary, gave a report of the 1980 PreSbyter- ial in Bluevale. Mrs. H. Bateman, Wingham, trea- surer, reported givings were up as compared to last year, which is encouraging., Mrs. E. Keith, Smith Kin- logs, introduced the guest speaker, Doreen Morrison a public health nurse working for the Presbyterian Church on the Bhil Field, India, under the church of North India. She combines her nursing ability with mission work. India has a population of 650 million and only two percent are Christians. Miss- ionary work is difficult at times, with such a dense population. Advancement is being made in adult literacy and a new growth in the Christian church is on the Upsurge. Family planning is being tried, and in some places, is quite successful. Miss Morrison Said good nutrition fot mothers in India is stressed and the aim is to bring help and health to every individual by the year 2000. The evening session was opened by a sing-song led by Mrs. A. Mundell. Devotions were taken by Belmore ladies, scripture by Mrs. M. Dickson meditation by Mrs. M. Mc- Pherson. Two Honorary Member- ship certificates were pre- sented- to Mrs. N.J. Mac- Murchy, Molesworth by Mrs. H. Baker and to Mrs. J.W. English, Wingham, by Mrs. B. Richardson. Miss Mor- rison had On display many articles from India. Courtesies were given by Mrs. C. McAuley, Ripley. An invitation to hold the Presbyterial in Ripley in 1982 was extended. A Post Classified will pay you dividends. Have you tried one? Dial Brussels 887-6641.