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The Citizen, 2005-03-03, Page 1The Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 21 No. 9 Thursday, March 3, 2005 NH | NORTH HURON PUBUSHING COMPANY INC. | Inside this week Pg. 7 Pg. 11 Pg-13 Pg. 19 A first for Brussels Lions Club Blyth Skating Club presents awards Brussels, Grey students speak-off Blyth woman tells of Haitian mission p 99 Son follows in * father’s steps Students get extra day off By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen The March break will last an extra day in 2006 for students in Huron and Perth County, following an agreement about a “modified calendar” between the Avon Maitland and Catholic school boards. ' - . The sixth day off school, scheduled for the Friday before the traditional five-day break, will be replaced by an additional school day at the end of June. “As 1 understand it, (the possibility of taking off the Friday before March break) had come up as a discussion point for several years previously.” said Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board’s education superintendent. At the board’s regular meeting Monday. Feb. 28. Martha Dutrizac told trustees the idea was driven largely by suggestions from staff members, including those who travel during the break and are forced to pay higher weekend airline rates. The board's chair, however, is concerned about how the change will be perceived by the public. Bernard Murray, a trustee from Perth South, advised the board should “make the message clear why we would support it,” and called on “the teaching profession” to inform the public about the reasons for suggesting an extended break. “I have a problem with the message it sends out to people — a perception that they will pick up on,” Murray said. “People will say, ’oh, they’re getting an extra day on their March break’.” Dutrizac agreed “the optics are very important,” adding each year’s school calendar must be approved separately, and that the revised schedule will only happen on a trial Continued on page 22 8no<i0ar«tm«t Brian Wammes was one of the approximately 80 riders who took part in the Snowarama held this past Saturday on trails in North Huron. The event raised about $8000, which was well above the $3,000 goal. (Jim Brown photo) Lukewarm interest kills French immersion expansion By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen The Avon Maitland District School Board’s French immersion program will not expand beyond Stratford’s Bedford Public School, due to lukewarm expressions of interest from smaller communities across Huron and Perth Counties. Following a public delegation from a group called Canadian Parents for French late last year, trustees requested a survey be carried out in the catchment areas of all non-Stratford secondary schools. Information meetings were also held in all potential new French immersion host towns: Wingham, Listowel, Exeter, Mitchell, Clinton, Goderich and St. Marys. A report about the survey was presented at a regular board meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22. Considering a previously-suggested threshold of 60 students spread across a proposed Grade 1 and Grade 2 start-up program, and response numbers from the various towns ranging from just five in Mitchell to 26 in Wingham and Listowel, there was no surprise in the report’s statement that “staff is not confident that a sustainable program can be created in any of these regions.” “The number of responses indicating interest was lower than anticipated,” explained education superintendent Pat Stanley, who delivered the report. In the other communities, the number of interested Grade 1 and 2 students for September, 2005 were as follows: 25 in St. Marys, 22 in Exeter, 20 in Clinton, and 19 in Goderich. Interest levels were also sought for entry only at Grade 1 in 2006 and 2007, with parents in Clinton, Listowel and St. Marys expressing the most enthusiastic long-term support. Stanley cautioned, however, that the threshold of 60 is important because, at Bedford, there is a level of “attrition” in the years following Grade 1 entry into French immersion. “Of the 45 students who entered Grade 1 at Bedford in September, 2000, 26 are left in the program, and of the 21 that began Grade 2 in 2000, 12 are still in the program,” her report states. Two trustees expressed disappointment about the survey results. “I’m trying to find a way (to expand French immersion), and hoping, but it’s just not there,” said vice-chair Randy Wagler of South Huron. His North Huron counterpart, Colleen Schenk, added, “I’m disappointed, I guess, that the numbers weren’t higher.” In an interview following the meeting, Stanley argued the results were not distorted by the fact the survey was only sent out directly to parents of students already within the Avon Maitland system. She said the board took that into account when it decided on a target level of interest it hoped to achieve from the survey, and that target was not reached. r Work/ D«.v o/ Prayer services Friday Christians around the world will be focusing on the country of Poland during the annual World Day of Prayer service. Local, residents are invited to join in this worldwide event by attending a service at 7:30 p.m. on March 4 at the Blyth Christian Reformed Church or at, St. Ambrose Catholic- Church in Brussels. The Londesbrough United Church is hosting its event in the afternoon, with dessert at 1:30 p.m. and the service beginning at 2 p.m. They will be joined by Auburn United Church. Belgrave is holding its event at 2 p.m. at the Knox United Church. This year’s World Day of Prayer service, written by the women of Poland, reflects on the theme, Let Our Sun Shine. The women of Poland greet all participating in this service by saying Szczesc Boze. which means May God Bless You. With a population of 83 million. Poland tried to balance the influences of the west and the east. Since 1989, when Poland overthrew the Communist regime and became a democracy, the country has been transformed from a centrally-run to a free-market economy. Most economic advantages benefit the cities, while many people who live and work on small farms in the rural areas remain poor. Women are especially affected by the high unemployment rate, and are increasingly at risk from traffickers. Participants attending the World Day of Prayer will not only be learning more about this country and its unique culture and heritage, but will also be joining Christians in more than 170 countries around the world and 2,000 communities across Canada who will gather to pray and take action in solidarity with the people of Poland. The World Day of Prayer has its roots in an ecumenical day of prayer organized by women in Canada and the United States in 1920. This event became the international World Day of Prayer in 1922, and Christians around the world began celebrating this event on the first Friday in March. In Canada, the World Day of Prayer is co-ordinated by the Women’s Inter-church Council of Canada. In Blyth, the co-ordinating group has representation from following churches: Trinity Anglican, Blyth United, Church of God, Living Water Christian Fellowship and the Blyth Christian Reformed Church.