Page 6 — Halton Hills This Week, cor ae 1993 Opinion = > |HIS WEEN Georgetown, Ont. L7G 481, Web Printing. Halton Hits PUBLISHER: Ken! Bellamy EDITOR: Colin PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kathi CIRCULATION MANAGER: Marie Shadbolt OFFICE MANAGE! Shewell pas HILLS THIS WEEK IS. INDEPENDENTLY. OWNED & OPERATED. PHONE: FAX:873-3918 PEELE RSE Let the school year begin — safely It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Labor Day .| Weekend was just a shoved-aside blurred vision in the future, hovering in the backs of our minds as we enjoyed the lazy, hazy, crazy days of the summer of ‘93. It has indeed been a glorious summer — the best, perhaps in years. One that definitely shunts aside the waterlogged meniories of last:summer when rubber boots and hip waders were more in fashion than san= dals and bare feet, upon.us and the school ‘year is about to begin: Stressing~ Safety and caution for youngsters, their parents and drivers is paramount. For. those just.entering the education stream, the first tentative steps can be traumatic. The Halton School Bus Safety Committee, which held sessions at both Georgetown District High School and Acton High School last Saturday, has some hints to make the transition easier for parents and ae alike. We would like to share them with our rea Colin Gibson Think! Think! Think Safety! Starting school can be a scary experience for your child. Watching him or her get onto a large bus and drive away can be just as scary for you! Some time spent together before the big day can make it a little easier for both of you. * Talk about the:bus ride in a positive manner. + Treat it-as'an adventure! Try not to transfer any feel- ings.of-apprehension’ you may ‘have to your child. :-» Walk with your child to the bus stop a few times before school starts. Try to visualize the routine with him or her. Let him or her know there will be older kids on the bus with them one way. Also explain the route the driver takes won’t necessarily be the same one you would take if you were driving, but it will end up at the same place that (s)he got on. * Give your child a tote bag or a back pack. One -| item to carry is much easier to manage than many +} little pieces. ‘| * Allow your child to wear or carry a name tag. This can be placed in his/her lunch box or backpack. Include your child’s name, phone number, school, bus number and stop location. Make sure your child knows where it is. This will allow the bus driver to make sure (s)he gets to the right place if (s)he gets disoriented, and allows us to contact you, if neces- sary. * Make sure your child is dressed for the weather. Many children wait at their stops in cold weather without benefit of a hat or mittens! Wet weather needs boots, raincoats and umbrellas. Two or three hours is a long time to be in class in wet clothing.! + In order that the school can make sure your child gets on the correct bus to go home, keep them informed of any change in, your address or your day- care arrangements. Early notice of a change in address will avoid delays: in getting transportation arrangements changed. + Keep the phone number of the bus company and the transportation department handy. Knowing the route numberof your child’s bus and the school (s)he attends will make it easier to answer your questions if you need information or if you have any concerns. : * During the inclement weather, listen to the radio for information on school closings or cancellation of transportation. The following radio stations broad- cast this information: |. CFRB 1010, CHML 900, Y95 95.3 (FM), Oldies 1150, CHWO 1250, CING 108 (FM) CJOY 1460, CBC 740, CKFM, CFNY 102 (FM), CHFI 98.1 (FM) Note that parents have the right to make the final decision in sending children to school during inclement weather. Ex: Now, the final long. weekend of. the summer a The People's Corner Marketplace blood donor clinic a success To the Editor: The Georgetown Red Cross Blood Donor Committee would like to thank all who attended our — Coping with bereavement The.death of someone . close’to.us is one, of life’s ‘most stressful events. It takes time to. heal and each individual responds differ- ently. They may need help to cope with the changes in their lives, but in the end, coping effectively with bereavement is vital to one’s mental health. A workshop to be held in Oakville Sept. 24 will help caregivers to facilitate the grief experience of some- one close to them. Counseling the Bereaved i is a day-long workshop which will be offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Halton Region Branch at the Branch’s Oakville office. pes will have an examine per- Sonal Teipoutes to loss, study normal and compli- cated grief, be aware of how an understanding of nommal grief can be applied f second summer clinic on - Kathleen Fri., Aug. 27. The collection of 85 units was a welcome addition to the Blood Bank. We greatly appreciate the patience of our “neighbors”, Crazy Lee’s and Supreme Hair Styling. Promotional and organizational help was offered by volunteers, Flo cooperation of t Street and Janet Deans, and Georgetown Marketplace in clinic coordinator, Barbara providing a site inthe south- Viv: 20th pin Williams 10th pin - Carol Boyd, Karen Strzelba, Frances Walker Our next public clinic will be. held in Holy Cross Church Auditorium on east mall for this community lese donors reached the M Mou clinic, the generosity of following award levels: lond:, Nov. 8. A&W Root Beer for donat- Gerry Purdy 35th pin and certificate - David Street ing drink coupons and the Chairman “Its the first time in along time” epee ‘Hermelijn said that she had given blood, but daughters Savannah (left) and Shari were at her side offering support Aug. 27 at a saat Summer Blood Clinic hosted ny i pe Centers Unit of the Canadian Red to special grie’ develop grief facilitator skills through hands-on practice and recognize the importance of self-care. The workshop will be presented by David Masecar, M.A. For the past several years, David has provided workshops, con- sultation, and clinical ser- vices with respect to sui- cide prevention, interven- tion and reavement issues. He is a trainer for the bereavement workshops offered by the Suicide Prevention Training Program in Calgary, Alberta and is a board member for the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. CMHA, Halton Region, as a branch of a national, voluntary association, pro- vides people in Halton Region with opportunities to enhance their mental , and to increase their understanding and accep- tance of mental health issues, through: support services, consumer and community involvement, education and advocacy. Pre-registration is required by Sept. 9, for the “Counseling the Bereaved” workshop. To register or for more information about any of the programs offered by CMHA throughout Halton, please call Kenzie at (416) 681-6776. Cross al photo by Simon Wilson/HATW Town of Halton Hills Mayor Russ Miller (far left) received the “Blue Bird” flag of the Peearrean Arttnlts Hs Society. from fer to right) Bruce Lampkin, Treasurer of the Lai lie Knights of Columbus, Doug Tucker, Arthritis Campaign chair- an of: » ec sets ea Branch of the Knights of Columbus, and Tony Blencowe, Deputy G ind “Knight of the Georgetown Branch of the Knights of Columbus last Weagsday at the Civic Centre in Georgetown, recognizing September as Arthritis Month. photo by Simon Wilson/HHTW.