Huron Expositor, 2001-09-26, Page 3News
Susan Hundertmark photo
Serving supper
Joan Vandermey serves corn at last Thursday's sold -out pork chop supper at Seaforth's First
Presbyterian Church.
Becoming new principal
like coming home at St.James
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Returning to St. James
School as principal after 30
years with the Huron -Perth
District Catholic School
Board, is like coming home
for Fran Craig.
"I've had lots of roles
here," she says of the time
she spent as a St. James
Grade 6 and 7 teacher, even
of her own son, 10 years ago.
As well, all four of her
children graduated from St.
James.
Craig spent seven years as
a principal at St. Marys in
Goderich and at Our Lady of
Mount Carmel before
becoming a coordinator of
curriculum at the board
office in Dublin.
"Some people are
surprised I've gone back to a
school from my job at the
board office but this is
probably my last placement
before retirement and since I
started my career working
with kids, 1 wanted to end it
working with kids," she says.
And, while she wasn't
certain she'd be placed at St.
James when she decided to
become a principal again,
Craig says she's "delighted"
it turned out that way.
"I've worked with most of
the teachers here before and
we all work as a team. And, I
value the school's reputation
as being strong in academics
and providing a good
Catholic education, balanced
with sports and intermurals,"
she says.
Craig says she also values
the supportive parent
community at St. James.
Her plans for the coming
year include focussing on
standardized test results in
Grades 3 and 6 and
following a school action
plan among all teachers to
support students through the
testing.
"We've got to build on it
each year throughout each
grade level. It's every
teacher's responsibilityto
keep it going," she says.
While St. James students
scored above the provincial
average in all areas, Craig
says teachers will be using
math journals and writing
portfolios to build their math
and writing skills.
"The math journal will
help students develop the
strategies and vocabularies to
explain how they solved a•
problem. It will help them
make a plan and carry it out
but it will also allow the
teacher to see where students
make their errors and let
them direct the students to
another solution," she says.
She says St. James
students were "very strong"
in math in the standardized
provincial tests, "good" in
reading and weakest but
above the provincial average
in writing.
"Writing is an area we
need to build on," she says.
Another focus for the
coming year is to continue
her interest in computer
technology after her time as
coordinator of information
and technology for the
Huron -Perth Catholic board.
"I want to make sure the
students are using scanners
and digital cameras as an
integral part of what they're
doing in the classroom," she
says.
Hospital, homes for aged
receive equipment grants
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Scaforth Community
Hospital, the Seaforth Manor
and Huronlca Home for the
Aged in Brussels are three of
the 18 facilities in Huron -
Bruce to receive provincial
funding to upgrade and
modernize medical
equipment.
Mary Cardinal. of the
Seaforth hospital. says the
$29,073 grant is one-time
funding that will be used for
capital equipment such as
new needleless IV pumps.
"We're in the process of
identiting what we need. We
go through an anntial process
of looking at the equipment
we need to have new or
replaced," she says.
Cardinal says the
equipment that will be
funded with the grant are
"typically items over
$1,000."
"It's ongoing. Everyone
always needs upgrading,"
she says.
The Scaforth Manor
received a grant of $27,559
and Huronlca received a
grant of S27,997.
Seaforth Manor
administrator Cathie Schalk
says she was surprised to get
a call last Monday telling her
of the grant.
"It's lovely being able to
spend this kind of money,"
she says.
The Manor is in the
process of trying.to put a
ceiling lift in every room of
the nursing home to help
both residents and staff in the
process of lifting.
"A lot of the residents
need some help getting their
feet on the ground and
mechanical lifts are much
easier on everyone," she
says.
While five of the 65 beds
now have lifts, the Manor's
goal is to install one for each
bed at about $3,000 each.
The $27,559 grant will help
with that goal, says Schalk.
She adds that she wants to
consult with staff and the
residents' council if the
money should also go
towards other equipment.
She says electric beds and
complex bath tubs might also
be needed.
"We are very pleased the
provincial government is
allowing this money for long
term care facilities. The
natural progression is for
people to stay in their homes
longer and when they do
come to a facility, they are in
need of heavier care," she
says.
Schalk adds that the
money will help in the
nursing home constant quest
to keep residents as,
independent as possible,
respecting their dignity and
privacy.
A press release from Helen
Johns, Huron -Bruce MPP
and associate minister of
health, says the grants are
part of a $190.2 million
investment across the
province, $793,805 of which
goes to Huron -Bruce.
"These grants will go a
long way towards improving
diagnostic and treatment
services. It's a means of
ensuring that high-quality
services continue to be
available as close to home as
possible for members of our
community," Johns says in
the press release.
The Huron County
ambulance services will also
receive a grant of $42,537.
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Students
takepart
in pilot
project
studying
safety
By Stew Slater
Special to The Huron Expositor
At least five elementary
schools in the Huron -Perth
Catholic District School
Board will be among those,
participating this school
year in a pilot project to
study awareness among
children about safety issues.
The study is being
conducted by neurologists
at the injury prevention
research office of Toronto's
St. Michael's Hospital.
In the spring of 2001,
researchers sent out
information about the study
to school boards across the
province, stating the first
year would be a pilot
project involving only
students from Grades 1-3.
According to Huron -Perth
curriculum director Dennis
Mackey, five of the board's
schools have already agreed
to take part, with others
possibly joining them
before implementation of
the study begins this
coming January.
Mackey says the project,
called Think First, will
feature six 1/2 -hour
presentations, using
materials supplied by a
group called the Think First
Foundation and funded
through TD Canada Trust.
Childrens' knowledge about
safety issues will be tested
before . and after the
sessions, and there will be
opportunities for parental
involvement.
"It fits well into the
health studies program that
we have in our schools
already, which covers
material about personal
health and safety, " Mackey
explained.
Schools from about 17
school boards have
committed to the pilot
project, but Mackey says
the injury prevention
research office hopes to
expand on both the number
of schools and the number
of Grade levels, following
the pilot project.
Among the schools
participating from the
Huron -Perth board are
Jeanne Sauve in Stratford,
Holy Name of Mary in St.
Marys and St. Patrick's in
Dublin.
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