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The Times Advocate, 2004-07-14, Page 66 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday, July 14, 2004 Opinion Forum News Seniors' perspective Continued from page 5 Telephone Reassurance is to give individuals living alone in the community the opportunity to enjoy a daily conversation with a new or old friend. This pro- gram offers an element of security to the participant, knowing that if there is no answer at the appointed time, a friend, family or neighbor would be requested to make a check. You are matched with a volunteer. A mutually agreed upon "time to call" is chosen. Together we decide on an emergency plan that is to be put into action if needed. The volunteer phones each day at the appointed time. You are asked to advise your volunteer if you plan to be away from your home at call time. Lifeline: No matter what time of day with our Emergency Response System by the press of a but- ton someone will talk to you and get the help you need, when you need it. This response system is great for individuals living alone needing security. FRIENDLY VISITING: Town and Country Support Services has recognized the need for a Friendly Visiting Program. Participants may be lonely, sad or isolated and in need of greater human contact. We believe that such a program can help improve the quality of life of individuals living in Huron County. Its purpose is to provide individuals with a friend -someone to listen, to understand, to care about them, and to encourage them to be interested in life. These visitors are warm and caring volunteers of all ages who are concerned about people and are will- ing to give regularly of their time and themselves to provide companionship. A coordinator will make a home visit to determine which service best meets your needs, the cost, and the cost of delivery. FOOT CARE: For your foot care appointments with a nurse, we book appointments on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. EXERCISE: We have exercise classes every Wednesday at 9 -10 a.m. CARPET BOWLING: Every Monday and Friday from 9-12 starting in the fall. For information or services call 235-0258. Need for Volunteers: If there are any individuals interested in volunteering for any of these positions, please contact Faye Skinner at 235-0258. I will work around your busy schedules. LEST WE FORGET: James Russell Marshall The name of James Russell Marshall is engraved on the War Memorial which stands in Memorial Square in front of the Exeter Town Hall, and the Exeter Library. His name appears under "From The Village Of Exeter". James Russell Marshall enlisted in the 161st Huron Battalion in Exeter, when it was first starting to mobi- lize, in the early spring of 1916. His service number was #654318. The men who had enlisted in Exeter were sent on to Clinton, Ontario, where they trained until May, and then they moved on to Hillcrest Army Camp in London, Ontario. Finally, James moved on with the 161st Battalion to Camp Borden, Ontario where they finished their training. Then the battalion boarded a train and A trip to Storybook Gardens EXETER — The first week of South Huron Playground was extremely exciting. We had fun with lots of different activities. This week, we will be going to Storybook Gardens Thursday as part of our "Trip Around the World" week. Because of the trip, there will be no supervised activities at Playground for children not plan- ning on attending Storybook Gardens that day. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. "Colour Mania" week means children are encouraged to wear a certain colour everyday. Mon., July 19 is "yellow day" so wear lots of yellow! The week will be filled with lots of colourful activi- ties including a sunny craft and hunting for butter- flies. Wednesday will be a busy day with making chocolate treats, and then swimming in the after- noon. We are really looking forward to seeing all the new and familiar faces in the next two weeks! MAGGIE MILLER EXETER PLAYGROUND LEADER travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where they boarded the S. S. Lapland. They sailed out of Halifax harbour on November 1st 1916, and arrived in Liverpool, England on November 12tb 1916. After traveling by train to the southern part of England, to Digbate Army Camp, near Shorncliffe, Kent, England the Battalion received more training. Due to the fact that the 161st did not have quite enough men to make up a full -fighting battalion, they were split up and joined at least eight other battalions which needed reinforcements, and who were in France fighting at that time. The 161st remained intact for lit- tle more than a year. By the end of 1917, the 5tb Division fighting in France had been split up. The 161st was absorbed into the 4tb Reserve Battalion, and the Battalion soldiers went over to France in drafts. Those not already drafted were transferred to other units. Soldiers from the 161st went to the 1st, 4th, 18thb, 43rd, and 52nd, 58th battalions, the 5tb Canadian Mounted Rifles, and several Machine Gun Corps. All units were part of the Canadian Corps. At this time, Pte. James Russell Marshall became part of the 58tb Battalion, Canadian Light Infantry, (Central Ontario Regiment.). He was sent to France and to the front lines, where he was killed in action in January, 1918 near the village of Loos, France, in the locality of Pas de Calais. Pte James Russell Marshall was buried in Loos British Cemetery. Next Week: Thomas William Penhale Hensall by Design Show: Sat., July 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun., July 18, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Plan to attend this very enjoyable two-day event. Events include a no -charge Art Show at the Hensall United Church, 75 to 100 pieces of different and inter- esting art. Home and Garden Show, where you are able to see the scenery and trimmed gardens and dec- orated homes in seven to nine homes in Hensall. Ice Cultures from Hensall are doing an interesting ice sculpture display and join your friends for lunch at the Spotlight Cafe in the Hensall United Church. Thanks extended for support, dedication Dear Editor: Re: Grand Bend Fireworks It was a difficult decision to send home the thousands of people who arrived from all over Ontario and the U.S. to see what we believe to be the best Canada Day fireworks display in southwestern Ontario. In the end, our commitment to safety overrode all other consider- ations. It would be impossible for us to present the calibre of fireworks display that the community of Grand Bend enjoys without the dedication of a huge number of extremely dedicated volunteers and the support of the local business community. This year especially the lack of co-operation from the gods of the north winds brought out the best in all involved. Please allow us to acknowledge those who gave of their time and services not one day, not two, but three days in a row. Our crew on the beach, Rabbit (Barry Davies), Tim Bender, Dustin Studerus, Bud Ford, Matt Dill and Beach, for your hours of hard word. Bill Kennedy and your fundraising committee for your year-long commitment to raise the money necessary to present such a fabu- lous show. Sargeant Larry Parks of the OPP and your staff for working with us so closely to ensure the safety of the spectators, residents and property owners of the area. Kevin Bryson and the Municipality of Lambton Shores for providing us with equipment and staff. The Chamber of Commerce for fielding hundreds of phone calls. Sam and Anna at the Growling Gator, for ensur- ing that our crew was well fed in such a timely manner on both Thursday and Saturday. Bob and his staff at Sobey's for the donation of water and soft drinks for our crew on the beach. Tim Hortons for the Thursday morning coffee break. For the pizza on Thursday after- noon, Eat-za Pizza and on Saturday afternoon, Eric at the Beach House concession. Gord and Jean Glazier of Birchbark Trailer Park for being flexible in re -schedul- ing your show. Special acknowledgement goes to our children, Robbie, Evie, Kylie and Amelia McLean for the countless errands run, enduring the irregular meals and late nights and all the while offering us your unconditional love and support. Thank you does not fully express our appreciation to all of those mentioned and any we may have inadvertently overlooked. To those spectators who attended and perhaps donated on Thursday, please come back next year to watch the best show in town and see your money in action. In the meantime, pray that the gods of the north winds smile on us for 2005. KEVIN POOLE AND DIANE VAN ALSTYNE, Certified Supervisor and Assistant, Glencoe, ON Education Matters Randy Wagler,Trustee, Huron Area 4 - South AVON MAITLAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD How can we help all of our high school students be successful? Our young people need to be provided with every possible opportunity to succeed in life, and obtain- ing a high school diploma is a crucial step to suc- cess, no matter what path students pursue upon leaving school. In the last few years, educators and politicians have become increasingly concerned about "at risk" students in the public education system, stu- dents who may not obtain their high school diplo- mas. The Ministry of Education, under both the previous and current governments, has created new funding and programs to assist at -risk stu- dents, the most recent being the Student Success Initiative. There are two main reasons why students fail to obtain their high school diploma. First, some stu- dents find it difficult to pass the compulsory Grade 10 literacy test, and failure to pass the test in Grade 10 may discourage students from completing their diploma. Second, other students do not find the secondary curriculum and programs interesting or relevant to their particular life goals, so they have difficulty seeing the value of obtaining a diploma and consequently leave school early. To address both of these issues, in the past year the Avon Maitland District School Board, under the leadership of system principal Ted Doherty, has taken a number of steps to help our at -risk stu- dents. The Board has instituted a special program to prepare students for the Grade 10 Literacy Test, identifying students who may struggle with the test, concentrating on those who have been unsuccess- ful in the past, and using specially trained teachers to better prepare them for the test. Also, teachers in Grades 6-9 are trying to identify students who are at -risk so that they can be given additional assistance as early as possible. In addition, the Ministry introduced a new Grade 12 Literacy Course this year, which can be taken for credit and if successful, also meets the require- ment of passing the Grade 10 Literacy Test. Preliminary reports show that close to 100 students in Avon Maitland, who had previously failed the Test, will pass the Literacy Course this year, putting them back on track to graduate. From a curriculum perspective, the Board recog- nizes that while the secondary curriculum is pri- marily designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue post -secondary education, roughly half of all students who begin Grade 9 do not proceed to college or university, but go directly into apprenticeships or the workforce. These students also need a high school diploma, but more importantly they need to be prepared for the career path they choose to pursue. To this end, the Board is trying to change people's perceptions of student success. It is vital that we all recognize the value of going directly into the workforce. Canada is in desperate need of skilled trades people, and many of our students find satisfac- tion and success in technical skill courses. The Board is planning to expand work experience programs for students so that they will feel more motivated to finish school and be more employable upon gradua- tion. If we can provide them with the supports they need to reach Grade 11 and 12, and courses that both engage them and equip them with vital skills in their senior high school years, their chances of succeeding will be much improved. We as a community also need to recognize and celebrate their achievements and goals, so that they may begin to feel that success is within their grasp and continue on to complete their high school diploma. It's time we recognized that only half of our young people are destined for college or university, and that the other half can be just as successful and contribute as much to society by taking other paths. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at 235-4445, or email me at rwagler@fc . amdsb . c a. RANDY WAGLER EDUCATION MATTERS