Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-12-08, Page 2regional wrap up 2 Morris - Turnberry talks resume Morris and Turnberry townships have resumed restructuring discussions, reports the Wingham Advance - Times. The two rural munici- palities have met and have put the finishing touches on their restructuring plan to be submitted for Huron County's approval. Morris Twp. withdrew from the discussions earlier this fall over Turnberry's decision to pull out of Team North Huron. The group had been negotiating with Wescast Industries to fulfill several commit- ments made to encour- age the manifold maker to build its new casting plant in the area. Morris Twp. discussed restructuring with other municipalities but were concerned taxes would jump if they amalga- mated. Despite a motion last month that Morris "stand alone" on restructuring, council decided it had more in common with Turnberry than it had difference. 40 years of salt mining GODERICH — Sifto marked 40 years of rock salt mining in Goderich Nov. 24 with a quiet celebration held at the Huron County Museum, reports The Goderich Signal -Star. About 50 community representatives gath- ered to see a new video highlighting the employ- ees and the work in the mine. Goderich produces more salt than any other town in Canada, mine manager Rowland Howe said in the Signal - Star. The mine is fairly old in terms of salt mines, but the size of the salt bed (which extends to Michigan) and the pro- duction improvements made at the mine in recent years have made the mine seem new. Sifto continues to invest in the mining operation. Despite com- petitive pressures from other salt mining opera- tions in Chile and around the world, Howe said the Sifto operation is not shying away from its plans to load the industry. Mining occurs 1,760 feet below the surface and extends three kilo- metres beneath Lake Huron. Wednesday, December 8, 1999 Avon Maitland to de -semester By Stew Stater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — De-seme3tering will be arriving to schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board. The board will de -semester Grades 9 and 10 starting in September 2000, and could de - semester all public high school programs in Hump and Perth counties as the province's new, four-year curriculum is gradual- ly implemented. The union representing the board's high school teachers is opposed to the move. Bill Huzar, president of District No. 8 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), sent out a position statement on the issue late last month, alerting media to something which, to that point, hadn't been made public. "We are concerned about pro- gram, maintaining enrolment, transfer of students as well as cost," states the release. "We are also concerned that this decision has been made without consulta- tion with stakeholders." In an interview, Huzar said he initially heard about de-semes- tering after principals at various high schools arranged meetings with department I • ads. - At the time, h; si: r ed a letter to Avon Maitla '•'s director of education Lorne Rachlis outlin- ing the union's concerns. He adds he received no response, so he sent copies of the letter to tr ustees. Upon following up with tele- phone calls, Huzar found out some trustees didn't know about de-semestering until reading his letter. "I find it appalling that the director of , education would not consult with trustees," Huzar charged. Wendy Armstrong, chair of the Avon Maitland board, counters Huzar's statement. "I can't say for sure (when de- semestering was discussed), but I would think it was at a meeting in early October." At the time, she says, senior staff members informed trustees of their intention to look into the possibility of de-semestering, and trustees offered their support. "Not everybody's present at every meeting,' she said, explaining why some trustees may not have heard about the issue. Armstrong also ,notes staff and principals will deliver a formal report on the issue to the board at its next regular meeting Dec. 14. Trustees will then have a chance to ask questions and, potentially, bring forward motions regarding the change. Much of that report will be pre- sented by Avon Maitland's superintendent of secondary education Marjatta Longston. In an interview, Longston said staff feels a de-semestered sys- tem will better enable students to succeed in the more concentrat- ed and more rigorous four-year curriculum. She notes interim report cards have been sent out for the first Grade 9 group studying the new curriculum, and indications are these students will suffer from the semestered system's poten- tially lengthy break between con- secutive courses in a particular subject. In particular, she adds, staff feels semestered students face a disadvantage in a mandatory English test, newly required by the ministry. for completion of a high school diploma. Under a semestered system, students would write the test early in October of their Grade 10 year, shortly after returning to school and possibly over eight months after completing their previous English course. In a de- semestered program, the test would be required in the spring of the Grade 10 year. Huzar, however, says the conti- nuity argument has been around as long as there have been both semestered and non-semestered schools, and it just doesn't wash. "I've been teaching for 24 years now and never taught in any other system than a semestered system, and students have not suffered," he said. During that time, he adds, new curricula were introduced and teachers and students adapted every time. Huzar doesn't suggest the non- semestered system will be signifi- cantly detrimental to students. He does, however, question the board's wisdom in spending money implementing a system which, generally, has been on its way out in Ontario for years. "The Greater Toronto board, in fact, is currently moving in the opposite direction in the interest of universality (among all its schools)," he said. "From our investigation, none of the surrounding boards are making plans to de -semester any other schools." Huzar says potential transfer students from other boards, who move into the area mid-term, will now be more likely to choose a school in the Huron -Perth Catholic District School Board. Even within the area, he adds, students may choose to abandon the public board for a scheduling system they prefer. Longston, however, says other boards are considering de- semestering. She suggests Avon Maitland's decision to change now, so it wouldn't have to scramble in June, is a proactive approach which others may fol- low. At St. Marys DCVI, principal Pat Moore admits some of the OSSTFs concerns about the cost of de-semestering are justified. Moore says a preliminary analy- sis at the school revealed there will be some monetary costs involved in providing textbooks for next years Grade 9 students, should de-semestering go through. That's because, under a semes- tered system, one set of books is used in the first term, then used again for a second class in the second term. Under a de-semes- tered schedule, both classes need the books all year long, so anoth- er set is necessary. However, Moore said, there will be no increased costs in Grade 10 because the education min- istry will provide all necessary books for the first year's imple- mentation of the new Grade 10 curriculum, regardless of the scheduling system. As for Grade 9, he added, "my expectation is thatq�,the costs will not be exorbi- tant." On the whole, Moore supports the solidarity of all Avon Maitland principals in making the change, despite the fact each one, according to the province's Education Act, could have decid- ed against the move. However, he adds, not every school will necessarily implement the change in the same manner. "Each school will de -semester in the way that is best for the community. We do have that leeway," he said. New Exeter Library endorsed, planned second floor still an option By Craig Bradford TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Exeter and its future municipal part- ners have agreed to pay for a new library but just how high it'll be is still in question. At Monday night's meet- ing, Exeter council endorsed a resolution from the South Huron Library Redevelopment committee that all three South Huron municipali- ties (Exeter, Stephen and Usborne townships) com- mit financial resources to the project and to support community fund-raising. efforts and a Provincial Main Street Ontario Program grant applica- tion. The resolution dou- bles as a project descrip- tion for a Millennium grant application. Committee member George Robertson brought council up to date op their recent work. That work includes: meet- ing with Stephen and Usborne councils and the Huron County Library Board; discussing fund- raising with the Exeter Lions Club (nothing final- ized); applying for the Millennium Grant; figur- ing out the estimated cost of a 3,458 sq. ft. second floor at $370,782. Details of the project description not previously published by the Times - Advocate include: •New activities planned for the library including book clubs, artist's group, children's activities, art displays, historical dis- plays and expanded com- puter/Internet training; •70 per cent of the area's population are library members; 90 per cent of survey respon- dents rank a library as the fust or second priority among government ser- vices; •Total cost for one storey library including Cenotaph and landscap- ing improvements, town hall link and furnishings: $912,200. Much of the debate focussed on when the sec- ond floor should be Christmas song book this week This week's Times Advocate will have an added bonus... our annual Christmas Song Book brought to you courtesy of many local advertisers. Anyone requiring additional copies is welcome to pick them up at our office at 424 Main St. S., Exeter. added. Deputy Reeve Dave Urlin argued the Municipalities should bite the financial bullet now rather than wait a couple years especially with the pending merger. He said the second floor space might be needed by the combined town and town- ship staff come 2001. Coun. Joe Hogan, a library committee mem- ber, said the committee's concern over going ahead with the second floor increases the library cost well beyond the original estimates. Reeve Roy Triebner said whether the second floor should be added should be discussed by the merg- er transition board. In the Christmas spirit Students at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school celebrated Craft Day last Friday by making various Christmas decorations. Participating were students in Grades 3/4 and 4/5. Pictured above, Scott Masse, left, and Jasmyne Ferguson show off their • creations. (photo/Scott Nixon)