HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-01-23, Page 6winter's day in the Iife'of students
Pens refused to write, papers
got soggy and fingers froze, but
these were the least of their prob-
lems.
"Why'd we have to get all this
snow today?" ... "What U he's
not there?" ... "I've only got two
,.,, .customers ! " ... "Did I sage six
paces for the door?" ... "I've lost
my mittens ! " . . . "Is it time
yet?"
If you were on the streets of
Wingham between 1:30 and 2:30
Wednesday afternoon, you may
have seen the scene repeated
many times. It was the last day of
the grade five and six study on
winter, and the question to
answer that day was, "How does
a town change in winter?"
The ever -falling snow was an
apt background for the 29 stu-
dents from Wingham Public
School as they frantically count-
ed off customers, paced store
fronts and interviewed shop
owners at 16 stores. And neither
the cold nor the snow could
dampen their enthusiasm.
The study of winter started
some weeks previously as the
students, under the direction of
teacher Rick Whiteley, gathered
information of the causes and
signs of winter, how people com-
bat it, how homes, animals and
people change in the wintertime.
The Wednesday survey was the
last step prior to writing the final
reports.
Just before setting out from the
school, Mr. Whiteley issued final
instructions and last warnings.
"You're on your own, but re-
member that you represent the
school . . . Don't forget to ask
your questions; and thank the
person you interviewed. I'll be
checking on everybody. Remem-
ber, I may be behind you at any
time."
The afternoon stu ., yes would in-
clude 16 stores and their owners,
and Mr. Whiteley had contacted
each of the businesses to ensure
they'd be ready for the questions
and the invasion of students. And
at 1:15, armed with question
sheets, pens, charts, instructions
and plenty of enthusiasm, the
GRADES FIVE AND SIX teacher Rick Whiteley gives final instructions to his classes
before they set out for their urban study.
"WHERE ARE THEY?" ask Pam and Heather as they count customers in front of
Walter's, while Blair Bushell and Blair Mansell sketch the IGA across the street.
THE C, -ASS prepares for the trip by bundling up warmly. Downtown they split into teams
for the urban study.
PAM AND HEATHER prepare to pace off the length of Walter's.
CURIOSITY. GETS THE BEST of Mrs. Eileen Johnson as she Peeks through Walter's
display window at Pam and Heather.
students set off to Hayes, Ernie
King's Music Store, Hill's Shoe
Store, Walter's Clothing Store,
Shiral's, Henderson's Barber
Shop, Howson and Howson
Purina Fee fls, Burke Electric,
Gemini Jewellers, IGA, Ma-
chan's Hardware, the Waxworks
Boutique, Macltityre's Bakery,
the Toronto Dominion Bank, the
Post Office and Currie's Furni-
ture.
Pam Cameron and Heather
Streich, both grade five students,
headed for ' Walter's Clothing
store. They reviewed the assign-
ment as they plowed through the
snow banks: "We've gotta do our
outside first, see? Most of the
kids have their interviews first,
but we don't get to ask the ques-
tions until quarter after two.
What does Mr. Walter look like?
Is he that big man with a mous-
tache?"
In front of Walter's, Pam and
Heather consulted their instruc-
tion sheets for what to do first.
"Let's count the customers first.
We can stand in here for 15 min-
utes ... Where do we mark them
down? ... On this chart? ... How,
will we know if they buy anything
inside,? Does the Walter's bag say
so on it? ... Oh, oh, here comes
someone ... Oh, rats, she's not
coning in! ... Here's one now!
Good afternoon ... Did she'buy
anything?"
Fifteen minutes passed, and
only two customers were checked
off Pam's chart, and those two
hadn't bought anything.
"Where is everybody? Don't
they know there's a sale? What
do we do now?"
And it's across the street to get
a sketch' of the building: Heather
and Earn first took shelter in the
phone booth but cramped—quar-
ters
ramped quar-
ters weren't really helping, so
Heather finally crouched in a
doorway and. lam shifted from
phone booth to outside as the
sketching progressed. "Oh, my
pen's frozen. Look at that top,
how can we get the detail? ... I'm
good at drawing, but this is the
worst picture I've ever done! .. .
Well, Mr. Whiteley did say only a
rough sketch ... I'll do it like this
now, and then get it i oe back at
school ... It doesnl look like the
store at all!"
But. they finally got a reason-
able sketch and decided to get on
to the interview. "Is Mr. Walter
hi Yet?" Not yet, but soon. Which
left them a little time for the
other outside work, like pacing
off the store measurements and
recording the neighboring stores.
Finally .. .
Gordon Walter met them at the
counter. "Why don't we move
over here and you can ask me the
questions, O.K.? I'm ready."
Very earnestly, and with some
shuffling of papers and whispers
of "That's the wrong sheet"- and
"Who does this question?" Pam
and Heather grilled Mr. Walter
on store merchandise, buying
habits of the customer, compara-
tive sales for summer and winter,
heating costs, employees and just
general changes in the store due
to winter.
Some final questions, explana-
tions of statistics, and with a very
polite "Thank -you very much and
good-bye" Pam and Heather left
the store to finish off the outside
work and head back to school.
The classroom was organized
bedlam, as students slowly drift-
ed in, removing boots and snow-
covered coats. A quiet command
from the teacher and the classes
settled down to the serious task of
organizing their notes and com-
paring resixlts. The afternoon's
excitement was over, but the real
work had just begun. The
students would now start to re -do
sketches, transform paces into
metric measurements, plot
graphs and study all their an-
swers.
Some students got more than
just answers from the mer-
chants. Two girls who had visited
the Toronto Dominion Bank
proudly displayed the pens and
rulers they received, and Heath- 4
er boasted of a quarter she found
in the phone booth. And both
classes were treated to donuts by
Mr. Whiteley. Then home for the
evening, a little tired but full of
ideas, and eager for the next day
to complete their winter studies.
IT'S NOT MUCH but it's better than trying to sketch in the
snow, Pam says as .she takes shelter in the phone booth.
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IT'S HARD to take notes in the falling snow, so Pam and
Heather take shelter at the door of Walter's.
WAITING FOR customers, Park and Heather take notes in
front of Walter's.
THIS IS WHAT Pam and Heather tried to sketch that day, snowflakes and all.
N you're
NEW IN TOWN
and don't know
which way to ,turn,
call the
C/1(716) a " .ffait
hostess at 357-3275
You'll be glad you did.
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