HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-04-22, Page 5Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - Page A5
Students document 100 years of education at Victoria
award -micas_
signal -star staff
Students at Victoria Public
School are looking back to the
past as the school nears 100 years
of education in the town of God-
erich.
"Our Grade 8s are doing a his-
tory project," said principal Alice
McDowell. "We are planning an
event to commemmorate the fact
that Victoria will be closing in
the spring and it will be 99 years
old."
Each student is busy research-
ing a different decade of the
school's past. Two of those stu-
dents, Courtney Blok and Lauren
Phillips -Grande, said the class is
busy going to the library, digging
through old newspapers, records
and anything that might give them
more historical perspective on the
school's history.
But it's -not always easy, they
agreed.
"There's like nothing," said Blok
about her decade - 1909-1919. "I
found an article about the school
opening and nothing else."
"It is hard," said Phillips -
Grande, "We have some of the
oldest decades... You can't go too
far back on the Internet."
However, it doesn't keep the
girls from digging around in mi-
crofiche for more information.
Phillips -Grande has recently
had a bit more luck with her as-
signment - 1919-1929.
"I found some old pictures
from my decade," she said. "They
used to have a greenhouse at the
school."
Blok said she was surprised to
see that Victoria's first Kindergar-
ten class was 150 students. Now,
she said, there are 28.
In addition to pictures and news-
papers, students have been look-
ing through the school's vaults
and found, among other things,
the precursor to modern-day de-
tention.
"There's an old strap in there,"
said Phillips -Grande.
Other items include old school
records and photographs.
"It's very interesting to open
that and see all the information,"
said Blok.
Whatever gaps remain in the
students' research, they hope the
public will help fill.
"We need lots of help," said
Phillips -Grande. "On just about
everything."
Anyone with photographs, ar-
ticles or just stories to share about
the history of Victoria Public
School is asked to share them with
the Grade 8 research team.
"They're looking for anyone in
the community or area who would
have information, who may have
attended the school, or have mem-
orabilia," said McDowell. "Bring
it into the school so we can scan
it
.1
Anyone with information is
asked to bring it in to Victoria
between 2-3 p.m. McDowell said
they can scan it on the spot if peo-
ple don't want to leave their old
photographs at the school.
When all the research is com-
pleted, the Grade 8 class will cre-
ate a DVD presentation to share
with the public at a special open -
house May 30.
"It seemed a natural way to do
the project," said McDowell. "On
the 30th, we're inviting everyone
to come and share their stories...
basically celebrate the fact that
Victoria has been a great school
and has a long history in Goder-
ich."
The open -
house runs
from 1-4
p.m. with
the video at
3:30.
Anyone
who would
like to con-
tribute can
'contact the
school at 519-
524-8306.
Financial fair helps Volvo
employees prepare for future
From ROSS, Page A3
life and that includes whether you will
retire now or get another job and you
guys are the ones that are skilled."
Admonishing the group to ensure that
the financial planning process includes
the spouse or significant other, the Dai-
lys suggested through their experience
that married couples often have differ-
ent financial goals and different per-
spectives on investing. Planning togeth-
er, they agreed, was an important step in
the process to secure financial stability.
Other key elements in the process in-
cluded gathering information on invest-
ment products available, determining
the tax implications of severance pay-
ments, understanding the workings of
the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and de-
termining the level of income required
to cover living costs and the wants of
retirement.
The development of an effective re-
tirement plan calls for specifics such as
dates, sources of income, training alter-
natives and transition times.
Once retirement planning is thought-
fully laid out, Daily said the time comes
"to just do it."
"A key step is implementation of the
plan and you don't want to get stuck af-
ter planning," he said. "You have to make
sure to make appointments and make
decisions. You can't get paralyzed."
Every plan requires monitoring and
adjustments and financial plans should
not become a document for life. Finan-
cial plans are made with some assump-
tions on rates of return and investment
products and the Dailys advocated look-
ing at the plan and its efficacy every
three to four months.
• The job becomes much simpler if there
is a partnership with the right financial
planner or advisor, they claim, adding
that the uncertainty of the market and
its future direction, makes the selection
of competent planner critical.
The stock market is in the middle of
a 17 -year cycle of ups and downs, Ross
said, advising Volvo employees to be
wary of their risk tolerance `with sever-
ance money.
"You can't afford to lose this so never
take on more risk than you have to," he
advised. "You have to rely on instinct,
you have to know how your partner feels
and you have to understand your needs
relative to how much time you have and
how much money you need."
The manufacturing line of Volvo is
schedule to close June 30. The financial
air was just one of a series of seminars,
workshops and training initiatives of-
fered to Volvo employees over the past
seven months.
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