The Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-02-20, Page 8,r ,V,1 n41 I • ,
• :-
Luclmow Sentinel, Wednesday, February 20, 1985—Page 8
Trustee discusses his decision on French immersion...
*from page 7
• sides of the issue. When someone would
call all keen on early total immersion I
would try to point out some of the
difficulties which the board would face with
sudt a program When someone would call
• dead set against immersion I would try to
point out that it did have some educational
merit. An astute politician would do the
reverse.
I chaired .the ad hoc committee to study
Fench Immersion. It held public Meetings
and sent out a questionnaire to fmd out the
interest and concerns of the Huron County
community. It visited schools in other
• counties that have immersion programs
and talked with administrators and trust-
ees about the costs, benefits and problems
with the program.
The committee was composed of five •
• community members, a teacher, a princip-
• al and three trustees. It recommended that
1. No extension of the Frond' program
occur at this time; and that 2. The board
develop the criteria for establishing a
program of late immersion in the grade 7
and 8 cLssses in the Clinton-Seaforth,
Exeter, Goderich and Wingham areas.
The criteria which the committee
• proposed would have ensured that staffing
•would be, done within the existing teacher
complement so that there would be ho add
on teacher costs and that tr-ansportation
'would only be provided by existing school
bus mutes. Such a proposal would have
ensured that an immersion program would
have developed only in a high school area
where numbers warranted such a. program
and that if it came into being it would be
accessible to rural children through the
. high school bus system.
I believe that the educational system
should provide a variety of opportunities
because children have a variety of
aptitudes and abilities and our society
needs a variety of skills. We will not all be
farmers, welders, teachers, diplomats or
foreign missionaries. Yet Our educational
system needs to provide both a basic
education for each of these and an
opportunity to develop. more specialized
skilLs.
In looking at Fendi Immersion I applied
three questions whicti 1 fmd 'helpful in
evaluating education proposals. Is it
educationally sound? Is it financially af-
fordable? Can it be provided in a fair and
equitable fashion? In the Huron County
situation early total immersion in My
opinion would fail ' the second and third
•
Learn about mission work in Korea
On the afternoon of February 14, Trinity
•U.C.W . held their regular meeting at the
home Of Mrs. Ken Alton, with an attend-
ance of 13 members and one child.
The president called everyone to order
with the reading of a vers on Faith. Mrs. °
Lome Hackett introduced the topic for
devotions, Winning Flower of Love. Mrs.
Murray Irvin assisted Mrs. Hackett with
the meditation and then led in prayer.
The roll call was answered with a song or
hyrrin containing the word, Love. Mrs.
Larry Wilkins gave information on, How
Canadian Churches are involved with the
Missions in Korea. Mrs. D. A. Hackett led
in prayer.
The service of the Least Coin was
observed with Mrs. ' Ken Alton giving
information on where the money goes from
the Least Coin offering and also read a
lovely poem about it. Mrs. Lome Hackett
led the Bible Study, the conclusion of the
study on Joy.
Mrs. D. A. Hackett reported on the
• Huron -Perth Presbyterial annual meeting
held in Winghara The president dosed
with prayer and a social hour followed.
Town and Country league
• Men's high single Harrold •Carripbell with
• a 194 and high double Jake Conley with
349. • . •
Ladies high Shirley Alien with a single of
214 and a double of 362. •
Team points and standings: Anna's Reds
0, • 371/2 ; Ida's Oranges 2, 39,/2; • Tena's
Yellows 3, 37; Mabel's Green's 3, 39;
Greta's B lues 5, 38; Gerda's Violets 2, 34.
SE
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HENDERSON
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• BUILDING CENTRE
J. W. HENDERSON LIMITED, LUCK NOW , 528-3118
=6,11II0 HOIURS: MON. - FEL 8 - 530 P.M. SAT. 8 - NOON
410111NDII
questions. Ibelieve that late partial immer-
sion would pass all three.
• Late partial immersion , would have
allowed students who wished to increase
their Flench language skills to build on the
knowledge they had already received from,
the regular core program It could have
been run within the existing teacher
complement, within existing building
space, using the existing bus system and
with a minimal disruption on our commun-
ity schools and existing program. This
would have allowed it tate developed at no
additional cost to the board. In those areas
where there was enough interest to have a
class it would have been accessible to mat
• students without requiring a parental
• commitment to transportation.
• As your trustee I voted 1. not to extend
the Flench program at this time. This
recommendation was supported by the
board. I also voted io favour of 2. theboard
develop the criteria for establishing a
program of late immersion in the grade 7
and 8 classes in the Clinton-Seaforth,
Exeter, Goderich and Wingharn areas.
This was defeated by the board.
I wa.sdisappointed with this decision be-
cause 1 felt the committee's recommenda-
tions provided a realistic solution appropri-
ate to Huron County. Early total immersion
was unacceptable to me because I felt it
would require subsidization by the rest of
the system either in increased costs or re-
duced program and that it would be less
accessible to the rural community. Howev-
er, it is also unacceptable to me to reject a
program simply because I don't have a
personal use for it. If we can equitably offer
a program at no additional cost to the board
is it fair to deny it to those who would like
to participate in it?,
I suspect that rattler than permanently
resolving the issue the board's decision
will mean that some years from now it will
again be faced with a request for early'total
immersion from a new group of parents.
Hopefully they will remember to look up
the study rather than run a new new one.
I also hope the board will be more
generous in its attitude toward the exten-
sion of industrial arts and family studies to
our rural schools. Because they will involve
capital costs for equipment and facilities
and add on teacher costs they will involve
significant additional expense to the board.
I think a case can be made for equity across
our system but if you don't want these
programs extended to Brookside please tell
me.
THE HURONPERTH CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD
Final date for registration of children in the Early Total FrenCh Immersion Program
will be MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1985.
• This optional program will be offered at St. Michael's School, Stratford, and St.
Mary's School, Goderich, effective September 3, • 1985, for pupils entering
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2.
In order to register for Kmdergarten, children must be five (5) years of age on or
before December 31, 1985. Parents are asked to bring Birth Certificate and Baptismal
Certificate.
Registration forms for (optional) F'rench Immersion-class(es) are available through
your local school. These should be completed at home an4 returned in person to your
local school Principal NO LATER THAN MONDAY, MARCH 4, 1985.
Information regarding the program is available from the Ptindpal of your home school.
R. MARCY, •W. ECKERT,
Chairman of the Board • Director of Education
CONIOP
Agricultural Study Tour
To;hicago Board of Trade & Mercantile Exchange
THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1985 Early morning departure. Stopping to tour the
TUCO Swine, Beef and pharmaceutical plant, Michigan. Lunch provided.
Check Into the Midland Hotel, Chicago.
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 Tour the Mercantile Exchange and Board of Trade.
Evening banquet - Presentation with Merrill Lynch Marketing Analyst.
SATURDAY, MARCH 30 Leave Chicago Tour Michigan State University.
Meet with two top swine and beef specialists from the university. Return home to
Ontario after an enjoyable 3 days in Chicago, and Michigan.
COST: $215.w PER PERSON
(DOUBLE OCCUPANCY)
ONLY 6 SEATS LEFT