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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1977-01-26, Page 18WARWICK SEED CORN Better Hybrids through research. See your Warwick Seed Corn dealer today. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26 1977 PAGE EIGHTEEN' THE LUCKNOW SENTINEL, LUCKNOW, ONTARIO Editorial Comprenez sous By Joan Leishman, Editor Usually when a person has a problem he sits down and considers the various corrective measures which can be taken,, or it is ignored and left to smolder until something comes along to ignite it. As you know the first settlement in Canada was Stadacona (Quebec) founded • by the French for fur trading in 1608. The English did not stay permanently until 1759 and now the English speaking , majority are making the French feel like foreigners in that same country. We stand here shouting "Down the. Frogs" like frustrated, spoiled children and they yell back, "A bas les maudits Anglais" but that's alright because no one knows what it means anyway. Fortunately, a 'large percentage of Ontario schools recognize the grim bilingual problem we have/at hand and are tightening up their French class standards and restric- tions. At Madill we have three very competant French teachers with a total of 415 students studying our other "official" language. But what about the rest of the Madill population? We don't care? Or perhaps we are ignorant of the fact that French Canada and the French play an invaluable role in our Canadian national identity, and are an essential factor in the survival of Canadian Federation. It is true that a person can not become bilingual by studying French in an Ontario school any more than a student will graduate a biologist by taking Secondary School biology. Only after months 4 total emersion in a completely French atmosphere could this be possible. The courses do teach students to read, write, understand and speak the French' language. But one 4 drawback is that very few people of our community hear a word of French spoken outside the class- room, so to many, bilingualism seems remote; almost useless. Like all good Canadians we want to know and analyse our culture, but any real knowledge of a society is itnpossible without first a study of. the medium in which that man forms and expresses his ideas. We simply can't sit back and remain ignorant of French Canada and all that it implies; its people, history, literature and language. Only twelve out of every one hundred Canadians can speak both of our national languages. One of twenty-five Quebeckers are bilingual and much to everyone's amazement - they are not born that way. Sure we could probably survive quite nicely by remaining unbilingual, but what about Con- federation? We sit back in our leather easy-boy chairs, watch the news on TV and scream at the politicians for causing the upheaval our country is in. But instead of condemning, "What are 'they' going to do about it?" Maybe it should be, "what are we going to do", 'starting right in our own homes and classrooms. What are you willing"to sacrifice to help out? A few hours each day away from the 'screen' to study our You Don't Need The following is an excerpt om Perception Bag! The Stude t's Paper 1970 (and added to by Mary Anne Alton). You dont need an education of course, if you've got a trust fund of a million dollars, and have some- one who'll take care of the fund for you. You don't need an education or even very much schooling, if you're going to live on the proverbial `desert island' ... that is, if you could find such an island, and could find the kind of Robinson Crusoe existence completely satisfactory to you. You don't need a post secondary education, if you can manage to live in the woodlands of Ontario and have in addition a permanent, steady source of funds, that would supply all your necessities. Without that, you might find it difficult to get the wherewithal for any ordinary living, let alone luxuries. You don't need an education' ... or, at least you didn't if you could contrive to live the life of the old-time hobo who could scrounge his existence from the casdal housewife ... when he didn't get it by, stealing. There just aren't too many other avenues of living without a'. good education today unless one is content to live on welfare or start at the bottom of the ladder and always stay on the first rung. So hang in there all ye students of Madill. Spring is just around the corner and summer holidays are just a block away. Just A Smile To: Wingham Dry Cleaners From: Lady MacBeth I'm sending this dress back for the fifteenth time. Why can't you get that spot out? Truth derives its strength not s/o much in itself, but because of the brilliant contract it makes with that which is apparently true. French counterparts? That's not so much to ask! Yes, its going to be a long, hard, individual process with lots of work and probably slow results. But if this means keeping our Canada together, don't you think bilingual- ism is worth the effort? Quebec, its language and cul- ture, has an equal place with the rest of the provinces in Confedera- tion. We could most likely survive separation, but I think we would be forfeiting a 'vital' link in Canadian unity. I don't think people are trying hard enough to comprehend some- thing that really is worth it; in so many aspects. Prime Minister Trudeau once announced that "All Canadians should capitalize on the advantage of living 'in a country which has learned to speak in two world languages ... such a country will be more interesting, more stimulating and • in. many ways, richer than it has ever been.", Now is the time to face up to this fact: now is the time to act; the problem has been smoldering much too long. Needed A Reading Revolution Twenty-five years ago only 40% of the fifteen-year-old population of our country attended school; now, 90% of that age group attend. Because they attend school and because they all study. English, we expect them all to read well. Yet, we still have the same percentage of poor readers that we had in 1918 when it was discovered that 25% of those the 'Army tested had no "ability to read newspapers or to write letters home". Modern youngsters do not lack intelligence; there are more bright, articulate students reading more material than ever before. More- over, they are buying more paperbacks, maintaining more book clubs, increasing library patronage. In other words, the gap between the readers and the non-readers is wider than it ever was. The students who read are reading more; the, others are reading less than they ever did. Why? One reason may come from the fact that this, is the first generation of students imprinted by TV - on an average of five hours each day. They have listened to more language than any generation before; all of it corning with moving pictures. Without family guidance, children find it easier to watch dopey cartoons (with a low vocabulary count) than the mind- expanding programs available which would extend their vocabu- laries. Moreover they become used to an interruption for a commercial on the average of every 2.9 minutes. No wonder their attention span 'in school is short! We learn to read by reading. A few people' learn easily no matter what method is used to teach them. However, most of us become proficient only with steady, pro- longed practice. The English language is one of the world's hardest to learn to read. But, unless there is a- functional disablilty, everyone can learn to read. The poor readers will never become readers until they realize the advantages that there are in reading. Why put in all. that effort to read if it isn't needed? Do you need to read anything more than road signs and ads? Is it just a silly thing you do in school and nowhere else? When you can talk to Grandma every week by phone why should you write a letter? Do you need to write anything more than a grocery list? How often do children see adults actually reading or writing? Until they realize that their life-horizons may be expand- ed by reading, that they can learn more, and faster, hold a better job, or earn more money, why read? The elementary and secondary schools are teaching the basic reading skills as effectively as they ever did; the materials being used are turned to lure'students into the reading habit. Most students know the proper techniques for reading; they need incentives to read and time to practice. Students who spend the greatest amount of time reading are usually in the upper half of their class; those who read little tend to fall in the lower half. Children who come Anderson Flax Products LUCKNOW PHONE 528-2026 Mike Snobelen R. R.1 RIPLEY PHONE 395-2771 HoviA2rd Culbert R. R. 1 DUNGANNON PHONE 529.7339 INSPIRATION "Perfection can here be obtained by the individual student only in the subjective sense that ' he communicates everything he has been able to see." George Simmel nothing more can be attempted than to establish the beginning and the direction of an infinitely long road." Don Juan Non Smoking Week The past week at Madill has been rather educational for the minority of students that smoke. Signs such as "Join the. Majority; Be a Non-Smoker" have been plastered on every bulletin board in the school. Lately, on a world-wide basis, non-smokers have been standing up for their rights and consequently smoking has been prohibited in several public places during the last year. Second-hand smoke can be very damaging to persons allergic to smoke. I feel the point that non-smokers have been trying to put across lately is to educate smokers on health hazards to themselves and to others around them. If you have to smoke, smoke; but do so in consideration of others. Mary Anne Alton from homes where parents spend time reading books, newspapers, magazines, generally follow the examples set by their parents. Moreover, children who sperill the greatest amount of time looking at television generally find themselv- es in the lower half of their classes scholastically too. These are the findings of Dr. George Gallup, who,. therefore, advises parents to read every evening themselves, to limit their children's television viewing hours, and to encourage them to read, read, read. This is' the way to close the widening gap between the readers and the non-readers. We do learn to read by reading. 9 WARWICK Warwick Seed Company,Lirnited Blenheiyn, Ontario Hilray Farms HOLYROOD PHONE 395.2732 or 528-2132 Mike Naylor R. R. 2 LUCKNOW PHONE 528-5851 Student Council The executive council has decid- ed that it is time we took advantage of all the snow at our disposal, so the 'winter carnival will be held January 31 to February 4. The carnival promises to be even more fun than waking up to hear that school is cancelled. The entire week will be filled with events such as .the F.E.M.S.S. version of "The GongShow", toboggan races, tri- cycle races, snow-sculpturing, pie- throwing, a free insults booth and much more. Get in the spirit of the week and participate. A king and queen who will reign over the carnival activities will be chosen by the students. The winners will be announced at the dance which will be held on Friday, January 28. The band will be "Boarding-House" (Major Hoop- le's). Don't miss it! Eleanor Joh n stone. Ski Trip On Saturday, January 8 the Madill Downhill Ski Club took a trip to Old Smokey, Kimberley. The bus left the school at 8.20 a.m. Dan Webster and Martin Benedict were acting as chaper- ones. Craig Treleaven, president of the club, organized the trip. It was a long day for some, considering some skied for 5-6 hours. The group of 21 persons boarded the bus for home without any casualties. Mind you, there were a few bruises, bumps and stiff joints, but no broken legs. For some novice skiers the day consisted of picking yourself up and fixing your feet in your bindings (which is quite a trick when your fingers are numb) and trying to ski the rest of the hill' without falling', while for more „ expert skiers, trying too do the different jumps was challenge enough. Everyone had a terrific time and we hope there will be more excursions similar to this in the future. Mary Anne Alton Blake & Stuart Alton R. R. 2 LUCKNOW PHONE 529-7117