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"A Family Tradition for 132 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Wednesday, September 9, 1998 - 7 I _ETTERS Split classes adversely affect students To the Editor: ~ Amid the complexity of issues and negotia- tions, let me explain one reason why I have given up a day's pay, and may be forced to give up more, to help protect student learning in Durham. The issue is split classes. As a public high school science teacher, I have seen timetables prepared without replacement of the 118 teach- ers that retired last year. It seems to be common In some areas to put two or more classes together. For example, a Grade 11 chemistry and an OAC chemistry with all the curriculum and labs required for a legitimate course with safety and learning outcomes, will be taught in the same classroom by the same teacher at the same time. Will you the student get half the teacher's attention? This is not an isolated case, and in some classes there is more than a two way split. This could all be avoided if retired teachers were replaced. Earlier this week I attended a conference (at no cost to the school board) where I gave this scenario to a member of the new College of Teachers. That official told me that if a complaint was filed, a teacher of a split class could be dis- Strike's wrong To the Editor: Ontario teachers are ciplined or fired for not properly teaching the course of study. As well, the principal of the school involved could be disciplined or fired. The new reality in Durham education pre- sented in this case is that if the teacher does as he is told, he could be fired. On the other hand, if he refuses to teach a split class, then he could be fired for insubordination. What a position. And how many principals would be left? We need them too, to make education work. Having taught in Durham for the last 26 years, I know that if this situation occurs, we teachers will be using all our time before and after school to try to teach our students what they haven't had scheduled time to learn in the class. This must be our priority. You can imagine what will happen to extra curricular activities. Last year's International Grade 12 TIMSS test put Ontario's Math, Science and Technology students in second place in the world. (Only France beat us). It upsets me to see provincial officials try to model our system after far inferior systems of education around the world. Randy Scott, parent and teacher, Scugog Island Striking for wrong reasons To the Editor: Those wanting classrooms Classroom teachers are striking, or threatening to, for the wrong reasons. The inability to teach because of the presence of those not wishing to learn, not numbers of students or periods, is the underlying cause of stress and distress. Regulations state the responsibilities of students. Those not meeting them, however, are given rope enough to hang their teachers and classmates, not just themselves. Neither unions nor school boards are addressing this problem. going to strike again, exploiting our students by using them as pawns. Taxpayers, including GM line workers, very often have their job description. changed on their hectic work load. Do they have a choice? There are many good teachers, but some need an attitude adjustment. Do they pretend of being more privileged than say a G.M. line worker. They are super- cilious and self-centered. 'Their agenda with the agitating of their well paid union bosses, is really to to be sites where knowledge is passed on, rather than are- nas of continuing confronta- tion, are urged to contact their local MPP. Obtain a copy of the Safety in the Schools Bill, a private member's bill now before a Legislative Committee. Read it and demand that the classroom be taken back for their purpose: learning for the many, rather than what they too often are now, places of diversion for the disruptive. Joe Hueglin, Niagara Falls, ON persuade public opinion and defeat Mike Harris. This new and more up to date way of teaching should be given a chance to be val- idated before someof them jump to wild and unsub- stantiated conclusions. Herman van der Veen, Oshawa To the Editor: I sent in a letter a couple of weeks ago which included the Web address for the David Suzuki Foundation. I've since discovered that the address given on the newsletter was incorrect. Correcting website address It is not http://www.david- suzuki.com, but http://www.davidsuzuki.org Sorry for the error! Janet Banting Greenbank Editor's Notepad AND NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS Rise and shine, folks! Here it is, the day after Labor Day, when columnists across the land are legally bound to inform you that summer's over, and it's time to get back to what you were doing before you nodded off in mid- June. v It's not the most pleasant task, of course, but somebody's got to do it. Being the bearer of bad news ("There's talk of an iceberg, ma'am") falls to those of us who have the ability to deliver the goods (or bads) succinctly, then not mind when the recipient delivers us a stiff shot to the jaw, or the verbal equivalent thereof. Ah, yes... shooting the messenger. It's something of a sport in North America, where we demand the media give us all the filthy details of every story ("They did what on the carpet in the Oval Office?") then have a field day dis- cussing what swine journalists are to dig all this up and throw it in our laps. The media are viewed in the same dim light as puppies who drag home dead things, or dinner guests who talk at length about their latest surgery. Which brings us, naturally, to duct tape. No, not as a means of gagging journalists or their infor- mants, but a topic of discussion of late on one nationally broadcast radio program. For several days folks were calling in from across the land with their anecdotes on duct tape ("I survived the ordeal, and owe it all to duct tape"), their theories on its origins, and suggestions for usage. This struck home with me, after my run-in with the rac- coons. The family was bedded down in our campsite at The Sandbanks a couple of weeks ago when, in the middle of the night, a tribe of coons went on a rampage. They howled and chittered in the trees, then descended upon our humble campsite. They trundled over the picnic table, and established themselves on the hood of the station wagon. They foraged for crumbs, and were disap- pointed by a couple of empty beer cans. Then, without a word of a lie, a couple of commando coons barreled into the side of the tent (wherein lay a for- gotten bag of tomatoes) and tore a hole a foot and a half long. Well. It was then the man of the clan had to arise and shoo the buggers away, and not a moment too soon, either. Thank God there was duct tape. | was able to mend the rent with a generous slathering of tape on both sides, and restore the sanctity of our temporary domicile, and the confidence of the campers. It was a close call. But we lived to tell it. lowering the water before super-chlorinating, draining Ran d 0 m J otti n 0 S lines and covering it over for its lang winter's sleep. Hard to believe, even with this extended summer, we long, slender neck stretched towards the water and its legs sunk deep into the mud, silently stalked its evening meal. won't see the inside of the pool again for at least another eight months. With the pool bedded down and the accessories stored in the rafters of the garage, it was time to enjoy the last hour of afternoon sun relaxing beside the lake. It wasn't until moving last summer that | realized how special it was living on the shores of the lake. Sitting at the dock relaxing as the day began to lose its warmth, the wind rustled through the leaves of the large white birch trees overhead, while emer- ald green reeds hugging the shoreline became translucent with the sun lighting them from the rear. Lily pads gently rolled on the surface as small waves made their way to shore and a variety of insects scurried about the calm water, seemingly headed nowhere in particular. "A Kingfisher darted about the lakeside, occasion- ally hovering in flight before dropping like a stone and disappearing into the murky water, only to appear again with its beak filled with some tasty morsel. The solitude of the setting was broken momen- tarily when a large hawk swooped out of the trees behind me and plummeted like a bullet into the lake with a tremendous splash. A second later, with its powerful wings struggling to lift its heavy body out of the water, it cleared the lake and made its way to an overhanging branch along the shoreline with its catch. Moments later, | folded my lawn chair and made my way to the house... and back to reality. As everyone knows, it was back to school for the kids Tuesday, and the rest of the evening was spent The calmness of the shallow water was occa- helping them select that special outfit for the first day sionally disrupted by bubbles coming from some sub- back, having baths, washing hair and packing lunch- merged source, floating to the surface only to burst es. and send out a circle of ripples. Along the shore line a Great Blue Heron, with its by J. Peter Hvidsten END OF SUMMER Last weekend marked the end of summer, at least for the 'kids who returned to school Tuesday morning, but what a perfect way to end four months of the best weather we've experienced in years. Our family spent the weekend like many others | expect, one day attending the Port Perry Fair and the remainder of the weekend around the house, cutting lawns, trimming bushes, painting and closing down the swimming pool. | Once September arrives and the kids get back to school, there's little time left for the pool, and as the days get shorter and the nights cold, there's little incentive to have a dip in the chilly water. So, Monday afternoon was spent vacuuming and Yes, summer's over.... but it will be kind of nice to get back into a routine!