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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1999-02-17, Page 32.1111..• 32 Exeter Times -Advocate Community Wednesday, February 17,1999 Winter carnival Public meeting requested by trustees sow St. Patrick's students John Ouell o e, l e withand k Raposo had a chance to spend se Bon Homme during the school's winter carnival Feb. 10. Activities included hockey, snow -golf and ski relay races.The warm temperature and lack of snow didn't hamper the students' fun, despite the muddy field. St. Patrick's Grade 2 student Nicki Sowerby takes her best shot at the bean bag toss. Mac Barry, a Grade 7 student, helped the younger students with the toss. by Michele Greene SEAFORTH - Before a new design and technology/family studies program is Iniplemented for the Stratford area, some trustees believe there should be a public meeting for parents. "When people see what will be offered, they will be pleased but they just want their questions answered," said chairperson WendyAnderson. Last Tuesday night in Seaforth, the Avon Maitland District School Board learned about a plan to bring Tech 21 to Stratford Northwestern w�ala School or Stratford Central Secondary Schol for local Grade 7 and.8 students. Tech 21 is a program that brings together elements of the former design and Technology/family studies programs. The traditional program no longer exists under the Ministry of Education and Training's new curriculum. Tech 21, or Technology for the 21st Century, covers topics such as woodworking, food and nutrition and fashion design. Geared to Grade 7 and 8 students, it includes elements to meet requirements of the new science and technology curriculum. It gentralized s students four several elementary schools intoone location. Throughout the school year, students spend 10 school days in the Tech 21 program. It is now in operation at Central Huron Secondary School and Listowel District Secondary School. "We are having a positive reaction to (the program]. ParentssuP4or�lve as well: W4 Gladys Rock, are supportive well," said Gladys Rock, principal at L,1stowel Central. A third location in Stratforda cess to sbmitar equip- menould create equity for t. • Now, four' family studies/design and technology t facili- aures ties are in operation in Perth t(MitcheU) King Lear Elementary School, in W Senior Public School and hemi Piet ubliblSchool in St ic School In Stratford; and Arthur M g Marys. Those facilities would be closed and those students would come to Stratford for the program. Associate director John Patterson said the board received some concerns about the equipment currently in use and the program as it originally existed. "Teachers were concerned about the quality of the equipment. It's aging. We had concerns from industry and parents that we weren't keeping up," he said. Open houses were held at the Clinton and Listowel Tech 21 sites for parents to see. But chairperson' Anderson said a local meeting for parents in the Stratford area is important. Samle of the projects students would be working on couldbe brought to a local location. opportunity to "We have to give those people every opp Y have input,' said trustee Abby Armstrong. The report was presented to trustees as information only. No voLk ur recommendation was presented. School board to take a second look at core French SEAFORTH - Core French for pri- the ordinary child at a disadvan- mary students will get a second look tage," said Leslie Rourke, Parentsr i - from. trustees with the Avon dent of French, Huron chapter. for Maitland District School Board. Last Tuesday night in Seaforth, She said many children don't trav- trustees voted to reconsider their el to experience a second din language November decision to eliminate the and culture. Taking French ool program which was offered by the is their only opportunity, she said. former Huron County Board of "What e replace otherlt that cultures� 1 Education to Grade 1 to 3 students. expos them to It was not available to Perth County eke of me Central School rent Donna Council, avoo of students. The issue will be on the. •o Some trustees, such as Abby er sever Ilf..41.0141463-a egations from par-• Armstrong, Colleen Schenk,.: and ents over the last couple of months, Vicki Culbert, remain supportive of including another two last Tuesday core French for primary students: night, trustees voted to reconsider "If need be, we could split it along their original decision. county lines. I would prefer to see it "Eliminating core French can put in Perth County schools as well," said trustee Schenk. Schenk. Trustee Armstrong pointed out although there are no specific cur- riculum guidelines from the Ministry of Education and Training for pri- mary core French, there are expec- tations that students are prepared to begin at Grade 4. . Although trustees Ray Ford and Atje Tuyten were reluctant to recon sider without reviewing new infor- mation on the issue, they .voted to reconsiderthe plan at, the next meeting on Feb. 23. Trustee Donald Brillanger and chairperson Wendy Anderson voted against the motion to defer. Elma PS parents express their concern over closure SEAFORTH - Elma Public School parents had only one concern about the closing of its Atwood campus. Last Tuesday night, that concern was resolved. "We agree with the board's position that this will prove to be in the best interest of the students involved. We are concerned about the outdoor play area's ability to accomodate junior and senior kingergarten students," saidSoren Jakobsen, parent council chairperson. He told trustees that the council has installed $12,500 .,__.._.._a equipment and has raised another worth of playground raised another $35,000 to expand the installation. Jakobsen asked the board to cover the costs of access and ground preparation for the equipment. Without this expense, Jakobsen said there will be enough money to add proper equipment for the school's youngest stu- dents. After the meeting, superintendent Janet Baird -Jackson said the request was approved. While snow was hard to find, Maria Vandenber g,left, and Jenny van Lanen found a way to play snow golf during the winter car- nival at St Patrick's Separate School . . • By Jim Brown municipalities which have passed SPECIAL TO THE TIMES-ACVOCATE resolutions form the majority of all the electors in the county. . GODERICH - It will be another All 26 municipalities responded to month before any bylaw regarding a letter from the county after Ontario Provincial Police county- approval to the OPP -contract pro - wide policing will be before Huron poral was given by county council. County Council. Ten supported the proposal with- County council agreed Thursday out questibn. Another 12 were in that a draft bylaw be put together favour of the proposal but wanted for consideration at the Feb. 18 some points clarified or has some meeting of the Administration, questions. All but two of those ques- Finance and Personnel Committee. tions were straight forward. The bylaw would start the triple One municipality had n o maintain ection majority process concerning policing as long as as they and would also exclude Wing4 meet- their own police The remainingorce. three municipali- If approved at the March ing of County. Council, the bylaw ties provided no decision but did would be sent out to the municipali- have some questions or wanted ties for their consideration under the some points of the proposal clarified. triple majority process. The majority of questions con - Under the, triple majority process, cerned reviewing the contract, esca- the OPP Policing - county -wide con- lation clauses, bylaw enforcement, tract costing - does not become notice periods, governance, court effective unless the majority of coo ` security PP have said they will be evel of service. ty councillors are in favour, a ma j Ity of the councils of all the local responsible for bylaw enforcement municipalities have passed resolu- services to eachoanimal municipality control tions giving their consent and the � exception bylaws. total number of electors in the local property 4 Policingbylaw to be considered March T�..,.. have also indicated They indicated it would be a much simpler process if model bylaws, such as the one for .manure management, were available county wide. It was suggested it might be useful to look at a county -model pilot pro- ject using. noise control. as the first subject as that issue is gaining some prominence. The OPP will provide the same level of service to the townships and villages they already receive: The four towns, with the exception of Wingham, will be provided the more substantial urban level of service currently outlined in their existing contracts with the OPP. East. Wawanosh Township wanted the county to assume all costs for OPP service on all county roads - downloaded and existing.. The .committee decided if this was agreed to, it would lead .to the con- tract being cost allocated on assess- ment rather than Workload: This position does not have much sup- port.