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Local schools say no to school uniforms By TIM FORAN Metroland Media Group The voters have spoken, though not clearly. More than half of the voting families at 10 of 16 Catholic elementary school communities in Halton expressed favour for mandatory uniforms on students at their schools starting in September. However, at only two school communities did the "yes" side achieve the two-thirds majority required for the uniforms to get the go ahead, according to a memo reviewed by trustees at a recent board meeting. Students at St. James in Oakville and St. Elizabeth Seton in Burlington will don the navy blue and white togs next school year. Parents in those school communities will have to buy the uniforms from the Halton Catholic District School Board's authorized supplier(s). At St. Brigid in Georgetown the vote was 74 per cent against uniforms while at St. Joseph in Acton the vote was 54 per cent against uniforms. According to the board's policy, the other school communities that voted will maintain their current 5 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday, April 6, 2010 If a tree falls near a bell cairn... Visitors to Halton Hills Public Library in Georgetown were surprised to see the small evergreen by the bell cairn blocking the sidewalk after falling over Monday morning. No one was injured. Photo by Ted Brown MTO: No traffic lights for Hwy. 7 & 22 Sideroad The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) says the Hwy. 7 and 22 Sideroad intersection won't be getting any traffic lights soon. In a response to a letter by WellingtonHalton Hills MPP Ted Arnott, former MTO minister Jim Bradley said the traffic volumes "are not close to meeting the warrants required to install traffic signals." Bradley made the comments before he was switched to a new cabinet post as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In his letter, copied to the Town of Halton Hills, Bradley cited studies that show installation of traffic signals where they are not needed actually increase the potential for rear-end collisions. dress code, which includes a requirement for no clothing with offensive messages, and will not be able to hold a re-vote for another three years. Students at all of the board's high schools wear uniforms. However, only two elementary schools, one in Milton and the other in Burlington, currently require uniforms. The school board put in place its uniform voting policy last spring following a two-year mandatory uniform pilot project at those schools. The policy allows individual school communities to decide whether they want uniforms through an election, which can be held if the school council and the principal come to a consensus that one should be held. The board's 22 other elementary school communities did not hold votes this school year. At the 16 schools that did vote this year, the average response rate was 90.4 per cent. Only ballots that are signed and numbered are counted. Results show four of the school community votes --two in favour, two against-- were within one or two percentage points from swinging the other way. Merci! Danke! Xie Xie! Grazie! Hvala! Bedankt! Mahalo! Diolch! Toda! Gracias! Many Thanks From CAShh Thank you to all the families and individuals, to the organizations and businesses, to the elementary and secondary schools. We appreciate all of the dances, dinner parties and golf tournaments. We are in awe of every hockey game, garage sale and BBQ you have held on our behalf. We are grateful for the hair donations and for the birthday, anniversary, appreciation and In Memoriam donations. Cancer Assistance Services of Halton Hills is in our tenth year of providing practical assistance to those fighting cancer. It's because of your support, and our amazing team of volunteers, that we have been able to help nearly 1,400 clients and their families. So however we say it, Arigato...Tak...Spasiba... Thank You Halton Hills! Visit our website www.cancerassistance.org for more information, or call our office at 905-702-8886 www.barragerscleaners.com 332 Guelph St., Georgetown 905-877-2279 Georgetown Market Place 905-877-1598 HEALTHY CHOCOLATE Very high in Anti-Oxidants 416-819-2377 www.thewaywewere.com 98 Main St. S. Downtown Georgetown 905-702-7675 Call Shari @ 905-877-5225 for a FREE estimate.