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Zurich Citizens News, 1977-12-15, Page 10Page 10 Citizens News, December 15, 1977 Ceramics provides therapy dor women by Pat Venner Every Wednesday afternoon since Labour Day, there has been a group of ten ladies who have been learning the fine art of ceramics, the time spent depending on whether mother has to rush home to her homemaking duties or can stay a little longer to complete her present piece. Each participant has been learning a technique or medium of coloring, glazing, staining, antiquing, festiquing, scraffiti and learning to control a brush with strokes, fine lines, circles. These often produce very peculiar and funny figures and pictures. These past weeks our art brought a lot of laughter as each would-be artist produced their own version of a scene depicting a weeping willow, hill, flowers, trees, figures and animals, all to be in perspective. Our instructress, Mrs. Mary Lou Hyde, is pursuing this craft strictly as a hobby. She is a very talented lady who has found this medium to be the correct outlet for her artistic capabilities. Mary Lou has studied for the past four years, taking courses at London, Toronto and Oshawa. In addition to this hobby, Mary Lou has a husband and two girls who enjoy their mother's studio. She pops in to check on dinner on the way to her kiln, which she is filling with our pieces or removing other artist's work. Husband Jim has been a won- derful help, transposing and refitting the garage into a studio. As each week hobbiests are acquiring more green ware, he is fixing up more shelves and more space for this fascinating hobby. Both her daughters are pursuing their own talents and sometimes the pieces of her daughters and mother get shoved aside as the learners need a particular piece for a wedding or special occasion gift. She casually mentions as they work away that sometimes the days run into long nights as she is up at 5 a.m. checking on the kiln or cleaning green ware till 1 a.m. She is truly a dedicated artist. Mary Lou has an infinite amount of patience. The students have all undergone the frustrations of having a piece of greenware shatter after spending many hours cleaning and preparing that special piece. You just pick up the pieces, put them in a container and save them to mend or repair for any future casualties. Ms. Pat Venner is one of the ladies taking this hobby and she would like to highlight her ex- periences: `To date I have had seven afternoons. As a beginner I have been a bit disappointed when my piece did not turn out as anticipated. I must learn by that particular goof what I have done wrong and how to correct it to avoid future errors. It is such fun to look around and see each lady working at her own pace, using her own talent and adapting it to her specifications, producing an entirely personal and original piece of ceramics.' This is such a fascinating hobby that many of this group want to continue after Christmas. Nearer Christmas, the students are going to celebrate with their own "GOOF" money. This is a fine they pay for using wrong technique or word to describe the method we are using. The pot is getting quite healthy. The Venner s with the curiosity instinct inborn, has watched Pat each week and explored her craft box which is filled with 'shredded paper to protect her precious ware in transit. She thinks this is (Modern girl knows more about making dough than making bread.) her own special place to explore and play in. Pat's daughter has enjoyed this hobby and has produced an excellent piece of work. Needless to say she gets many laughs over my amateurish attempts. In the Venner family, both the mother and grandmother were very accomplished artists. Her grandmother did hand painted china. Her mother specialized in medium of pastels, producing beautiful flower pictures. They would indeed shudder to see my work at present state. Mary Lou has many beautiful pieces of ceramics throughout her artistic home. She brings them out to show the students and inspires them onward. One of the group says, "We get plastered!" with shreddings of greenware every Wednesday afternoon. The ladies found this to be a fun and therapeutic hobby. A NIGHT WITH CERAMICS — Several area ladies have been gathering at the residence of Mary Lou Hyde of Hensall for lessons in ceramics. Members of the Tuesday night class in the above are (counter clockwise from the bottom right) Mary Helen Whiting, Betty Simmons, Marilyn Brintnell, Shirley Kerslake, Mrs. Hyde, Matty McGregor, Margaret Hoggarth, Grace Drummond and Mary Connolly. T -A photo Average salary up to $17,448 Teachers, board ratify agreement The Huron County board of education and its elementary school teachers agreed to terms for the 1977-78 contract when the teachers voted to accept the latest board offer, Tuesday night. John Cochrane, director of education, said Wednesday that the teachers agreed to a 5.12 percent increase and the con- troversial pupil -teacher ratio had been dropped from the contract. Cochrane said the new pact brings the average earnings of the 380 elementary school teachers in the county to $17,448. Some of those teachers are just part-time and the full-time equivalent is 362.5 teachers. R.J. Elliott, Blyth school trustee and , chairman of the board's elementary school teacher negotiating committee announced at Monday's board meeting that the board had ratified the teacher agreement and that the teachers had to vote on acceptance of the agreement, Tuesday. He said the contract depending on the teacher's qualifications and experience. He saidfour of the categories involve teachers with degrees and the remainder are for teachers not holding degrees. The new rate for category D negotiations, which had bogged down in October and had been turned over to a mediator, had been completed by Monday and that the teachers' vote to accept the ratification would settle the issue. - The negotiations broke down due to differences arising from basic pay rates for teachers and pupil -teacher ratios. The set- tlement removed the pupil - teacher ratio from the contract talks and turns it over to director John Cochrane who has been given the authority to determine the ratio in the future. A committee consisting of Cochrane, three teachers and three board members will determine the ratio in the future. Cochrane said thd pay rates are established in seven categories, teachers, the lowest category, is from $9,840 to $13,140 after six years' experience; category C ranges from $10,415 to $15,365 after nine years; category B is from $10,990 to $18,490 after 10 years; category Al for teachers holding degrees is from $12,040 to $19,540 after 10 years; category A2 is $12,590 to $21,090 after 10 years; category A3 is from $14,170 to $23,670 after 10 years; and category A4 is from $14,290 to $25,040 after 10 years. The rate of pay for vice - principals is the same as that• of the teachers, except they receive an allowance for holding the position. n Principals are paid at a higher rate and are also defined by category, depending on qualifications and experience. Principals in category D are paid between $13,200 and $15,200 after two years' experience; category C receive from $14,950 to $19,750 after four years; category B receive from $20,500 to $25,400 after four years; categories Al and A2 receive from $26,250 to $31,050 after four years; and categories A3 and A4 receive from $27,100 to $31,900 after four years. Cochrane said most of the TREE -mencious value with the purchase of every Christmas tree S Ib. box Tide ,e;1" This offer valid Wed., Dec. 14 to Tues. night Dec. 20 * Sunday, Deco 18 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Tenderspot Garden Cen- tre will be open for your con- venience. A new Toad of Christmas trees arriving Fri- day. county principals are in the top two pay categories, while the majority of teachers are in categories B, A2 and A3. The contract is for one year and is retroactive to the beginning of September. Cochrane said the settlement is within the amount the board speculated on when it struck the costs for teachers' salaries in its 1977-78 budget. The county's secondary school teachers are still negotiating their contract with the board. Those talks are also being han- dled by a mediator. Santa Claus will be at the Tenderspot between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday.