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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-05-03, Page 14Page 14-1auelmoli'Sentinel, Wednesday, May 3, 1978 Jack Lord, a naturalist with the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, gave a slide presentation entitled "Beads, Rattles and Woodsmoke" at the Lucknow Public Library on Thursday. The presentation, showing how Indians use wild( plants for food, medicine and craft, was the first in a series in the library's Outreach Program. Lord's presentation showed how the Iroquois uses wild plants, such as cattailes, milkweed, wild strawberry and wild buttercup in his food, medicine and crafts. The slide, presentation also showed Indian artifacts such as the .turtle shell rattle, the buffalo horn rattle and the religious mask shown on the table in the picture above. Majority favour school year beginning in August Over half the parents of children attending separate schools in Bruce and 'Grey counties are in favour of a new school ° year that breaks the tradition of starting school on • September 1. Bill Brown, director of educa- tion for the Grey -Bruce Separate School Board, said after tabulat- ing the -surveys that went home to every family in Grey and Bruce counties with children attending separate schools, 63 percent of the parents are in favour of either permanently changing the school year, or at least trying it for a trial period of one to two years. "There is a general level of support from parents, as long as there is a standard school year across. the province. One parent mentioned that if the family moved from Grey or Bruce counties to Waterloo, the school year would be different, if only Grey .and Bruce changed the school year," Mr. Brown said. The Grey -Bruce Board was the first separate school board to ask the public-- their response to changing •the school year. The board is proposing that school open one week earlier, the last week in August, and, close from December 22 to the end of January. All statutory holidays would remain the ' same and school would end on June 30 as usual and there would be an eight week summer vacation. ' The board has two major reasons for considering such a move, he said. First, it should have significant impact on energy consumption, because the schools would be closed during the month of January, one of the coldest months of the year. Secondly, it would have signif- icant educational value because the month of January has the worst record for attendance during the school year due to winter storms and illness. According to the survey results 38 percent of the parents were opposed to the idea of changing the school year. "A number of those parents qualified their statements by saying they'd change their minds if the public school boards would also change the school year," Mr. Brown said. Mr. Brown said Tuesday morn- ing he was going to present four recommendations to the separate school board Tuesday night (last night). •„Those recommendations to the board are to continue with the traditional school year for the 78-79 school year; approach the Bruce and Grey public school boards toset up committees to study the concept of changing the school year; the separate school board submit a report with the survey results to the ministries of education and energy and to submit a resolution to the annual • trustee convention seeking sup- port of the provincialtrustees to change the school year. Mr. Brown said 86 percent of the separate school teachers in the two.counites were in favour of the year change while 14 percent opposed the idea. "We received word from the Grey County school bus drivers and from Travelways drivers who are totally in support of the school change. They said January and February •are the two most Your family is a very special part of your life. The family is our single most important social institution, which is why your Ontario Government is continuing to take steps to help*ippott and strengthen family life in the province. These include the family law reform legislation and other programs such as; day care, home support services for the elderly and handicapped, special allowances to parents wh6 care for severely handicapped children, and community living for the mentally retarded. These programs.are an indicati9n of your Government's commitment in supporting family life. The health of our society depends upon the health and security of your family. •••••:•:•:,:•• , • • • • Ontario Margaret Birch, Provincial Secretary for Social Development, William Davis, Premier • May is Family Unity Month - expensive months to run the school buses," Mr. Brown said. "You know, in. 10 years we won't have a choice, we'll have to conserve energy and the school year will have to change," he added. Salary talks going well by Wilma pke Salary negotiations bet- ween the Huron Perth County Roman Catholic Separate School Board and its teachers are "moving on quite favourably" trustee Vincent Young of Goderich said at a board meeting in Dublin Monday night. The board approved designating • Remembrance Day -- November 11 to he held on Saturday, November 11, 1978 and Easter Monday to be held on Monday, April 16, 1979. • However, the board tabled a motion that called for nine professional activity days during the school year 1978- 79. Trustee David Teahen of Stratford said that trustees did not have time to study the recommendations when it was only handed to them during the meeting. With nine professional activity days, 13 are allowed by the ministry of education, there would be 189 in- structional days while the ministry calls for 185 days. The statutory holidays are as follows: Thanksgiving, October 9, 1978; Christmas Vacation, December 23, 1978 to January 2, 1979 inclusive; Mid -winter break, March 19-- 23, 1979 inclusive; Good Friday, April 13, 1979;. Easter Monday, April 16, 1979; Victoria Day, May 21, 1979. The Science Curriculum committee will present a document to the primary and junior divisions on April 28 at St. Michael's School in Stratford. Bill Innes, Stratford, at- tendance counsellor for the board, gave his report to the trustees. He said during his eight years, from 1972 to 1978, he had about 50 referrals with 'several going to court. The truancy problem is "not really anything serious", he stated. Tom Kilgallin of .Holy Name of Mary School, St. Marys, will work as custodian part-time at 70 percent of his present salary and W. Loeffler will assist as a part- time custodian. The board accepted the resignation of Larry Murray at Precious Blood School, Exeter, effective Augtist 31. The town of Goderich in- formed by letter that Arbour Day in Goderich would be held on April 27, The board approved per- mitting parking by the general public in the parking lot at the rear of the board offices in Dublin during the July 1 and 2 centennial year celebrations. / Meeting was adjourned at 11:15 p.m. when the board went into committee-of=the- whole.