The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

8 The Acton Free Press Wednesday March 29 1978 Gen Brock marks 10 years Vocational schools gain acceptance Careeroriented education is better accepted now than It used to be said George Cass principal of General Brock High School one of the regions two vocational schools But pressure from peers and parents for teens to go on to university still exists he acknowledged as does a tendency to want to try a student in a regular high school before directing him to a vocational school Approximately 166 students from the Acton area are currently involved In the programs at Brock The students are bused to Burlington by Tyler Tran sport each day The system allows for transfers between vocational and regular high schools Students transferring to Brock from other high schools are those who should Mr Cass commented tie questioned the pursuit of unrealistic goals We can t all do better than our parents where does it end Rather he placed the emphasis on finding out what the individual is good at and what makes him happy and successful Mr Cass made his remarks during a meeting with the press held in con junction with the schools anniversary which falls this year Brocks stated philosophy is to create a climate in which the student has the oppor tunity not only to learn skills that will help him in a future career but also to develop respect for himself as a worthwhile person Many of the students who come to the school have been Study management by Mark J Leahy The Beef Information Day was sponsored by the Peel Cattlemens Association on Thursday March 16 in the Junior Farmer Building in the Brampton fair grounds Chairman for the program was President Bill Jackson Larry Ritchie Associate Agricultural Representative Region of Peel introduced total management concept The beef business takes into consideration many aspects of the agriculture Industry Doug Dickie 0 M A Beef Cattle Specialist from Markdale explained the benefits of using Implants and M A in feeding for profit Beef operators will realize an extra profit per head through the use of im plants A new feed additive for beef rations created much discussion Bruce Cook representing explained that helps beef steers to convert feed more efficiently It may be fed only to beef cattle for slaughter Dave Cunningham from discussed the role of protein in beef cattle rations made to fuel unsuccessful Mr Cass said The school tries to plan a program for the student in which he can succeed To qualify for admission a student should be at least be experiencing difficulty in mathematics and reading have an average IQ or lower and be socially ready for high school Mr Cass said the tradi view that a vocational school was a place for slow learners was incorrect We don t have many slow lear ners here He said the students arc below their chronological peers in reading and mathe matics for a variety of reasons Their difficulties may stem from perceptual handicaps or may be related to behavioral or soclocul problems Reading and mathematics are stressed because know ledge of these two subjects is important for getting along in life Each teacher is required to stress mathematics and reading concepts in every subject he teaches The whole school revolves around literacy and numeracy the The kids dont just work with their hands Most courses at Brock are offered at four levels of dif ficulty The student is placed according to of study he is capable of handling In addition to English mathematics science and physical education first year students rotate through business and technical courses In years three and four students specialize in their chosen area auto body dry cleaning floral design res taurant services masonry and upholstery are but a few of the wide range of courses available Students who complete the required work graduate with a General Brock High School Certificate Alternately students who earn credits can graduate with a Secon dary School Graduation Diploma the same diploma obtained by graduates of a regular high school The SSGD no longer means a grade 12 diploma although many people still use the term Mr Cass commented The SSGD is only as good as the transcript record of courses and marks Brock offers a full four- year program Any student who leaves the school before graduating then changes his mind is welcome to return the following semester If he leaves school early because of problems such as poor attendance he can return only on a contract basis That Is he contracts with the school to maintain certain behaviors In ex change for being allowed to return Mr Cass explained There is more individual attention available at Brock than at most regular schools the principal commented The average class site is IB Forty of the teachers at the school have additional preparation In special educa tion All teachers have ex pertlse in their vocational field Educational vocational and personal counselling are available as well Attendance and punctuality are stressed Students are not penalized for absence or late ness but poor attendance and frequent tardiness affect their evaluation if they haven been able to complete sufficient work to meet course objectives Attendance is important Cass says because most of the work Is done in school Little exercise type homework is given Mr Cass said although students do class assignments and projects Skipping classes Is not a greater problem at Brock than It Is in regular high schools but It is more visible according to Mr Cass Skipping class tells us some thing about a kid he com The teachers work with skippers to understand what prevents them from staying in class Efforts are made to make school meaningful to the student We try to make school a better place to be than at the plaza or sitting home watching TV A tour the resource centre library found two students hard at work while popular music ployed in the background The radio Is turned off only when special library projects are in pro gress During the lunch hour the library doubles a lounge area for checkers chess TV and reading Hot lunches sold hi the school cafeteria are prepared and served by students in the foods programs Students also man an adjacent snack bar More boys than girls arc enrolled at Brock About per cent of the BOO students are boys and per cent girls the principal said He offered several possible explanations for the difference Little girls are better pre pared to start school he said As babies and young children girls are given activities such as using scissors and crayons which help to get them ready for school Girls receive higher marks in school A recent study of grade five pupils in Halton discovered that on tests of mathematics and reading concepts boys and girls achieved identical scores he reported However a survey of their school marks showed the girls had received higher marks than the boys Lastly Mr Cass said is the belief that boys are more likely to suffer from per ceptual handicaps than are girls But my thesis is that perceptual handicaps if found should not prevent you from moving along with the rest of the students he declared j The immigrant student is I one who sometimes ends up in a vocational school because IQ tests were not available In I his native language Mr Cass Bald However he con I transfer to a regular school If that is felt to be mare suitable for him Because of the costs of I equipping a vocational school and of providing the special attention given at the school vocational schools cost more per student about per cent more than regular high schools the principal estimated Asked about the major challenge racing Brock in the next years Mr Cass replied It would be to rind alternative programs for some of today troubled youth As our training schools close we get more and more of them he commented The govern merit Is decreasing Its social services budget This puts more pressure on schools He said his other wish is to see his own daughter graduated His daughter Karen is a first year student at Brock New school wont affect Gen Brock BROCK HIGH SCHOOL student Ken Paul of Campbellviile works on cast iron fusion in his Welding class A year student Ken hopes to into an apprenticeship in brick laying when graduates The principal of General Brock vocational school In Burlington said he would welcome the addition of a vocational school in the northern part of the region Currently about one- quarter of the students at Brock live in the western half of North Halton George Cass principal at Brock since said the school would not be adversely affected If the students from the north got their own school Partially the difference in enrolment Should improve apprenticeships SPECIALIZING in auto body and maintenance Fern Peltier of Milton a year student at Brock gets ready to weld a vertical up butt joint with an arc welder General Brock High School needs more placements in business and industry in North Halton for field expert for its students Nearly of the schools 800 students live in the north western areas of the region Already Industries and businesses in the region offer placements for Brock students Senl6r students go out for a period of up to two weeks of on thejob expert ence They may also apply for one full semester or expert in industry or business The school also lacks placements for girls in any field said George Cass the schools principal Another need In Canada is for an adequate system of apprenticeship he said The apprenticeship system leaves a lot to be desired It s not as broad in scope as it should be I would like to see more effort at the government level to expand the apprenticeship system Development of ap prenticeships in Canada has lagged because this country has been able to import skilled people Mr Cass said Welding and are two occupations In Canada with good apprenticeship programs according to the principal Some firms like Sic offer private pro grams he said Most Brock graduates go directly Into the labor force About 10 per cent go on to community colleges Only a few go into apprenticeship programs at present of the CANADA PENSION PLAN CHANGES Better Benefits For Some Divorce or Annulment PostMortem Benefits CPP pension credits earned by a husband and wife during marriage may be divided equally between them if the marriage ends in divorce or annulment after January This ensures that an asset accumulated through the efforts of both spouses while they were can be shared equally by both when the marriage is dissolved Retroactive Payment of Retirement Benefits Retirement benefits may now be paid for a period of up to months to who had attained age but who are under age 70 and who have retired from the labour force Applications for retroactive benefits i e up to 12 months can now be made on behalf of a deceased person in cases where a contnbutor qualified but failed to apply before death Families or estates will be entitled to receive benefits in such cases Elimination of Reductions in Childrens Benefits Orphans and disabled contributors childrens benefits are no longer reduced for the fifth and subsequent children All children in a family regardless of its size are eligible to receive equal benefits These important amendments Pension came force on January 1st 1976 you have any questions contact the Canada Pension dan office nearest you Kitchener 3rd Floor Executive Building 151 Ffederick Street N2H2M2 let 519 Family Restaurant FpRMERLYWATSONS RESTAURANT 15 Mill Street East Acton 8530300 WEDNESDAY APRIL 5th OPENING SPECIAL urenmu 1 IBEYESTEAK Served with dinner roll choice of homemade method or ranch fries vegetable coffee or pop Only April A Complete Menu At The Best Prices In Town COME IN ANYTIME FOR A STEAMING CUP OF COFFEE ITS ONLY 25 PRIME RIB of BEEF served every Friday Saturday Sunday ROAST YOUNG TURKEY served every day Mortque MMitr WstHqj Bgin Mlrttrs HOURS Monday to Wednesday a til 8pm Thursday Friday 7 a ti9pm Saturdoy7a m til8p Sunday 30 m tll7p RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FAMILY FIRMER Door Crasher SPECIAL ALL PINE HIFI STEREO would be made up by the increasing number of students who are staying on to complete the four years he said Moreover a vocational school in the north would be phased in gradually and the northern students Brock phased out gradually Mr Cass who favors an integrated high school for the north will address the issue during a meeting on the pro posed new school Feb at J M Denyes School in Milton 599 Buy now open a friendly budget account no money down NO PAYMENTS till JUNE COMPLETE THREE ROOMS OF SOLID PINE HAND MADE HAND CRAFTED BLONDE OR DARK FINISH DINING ROOM E3 I BEDROOM LIVING ROOM See us for QUASAR Hwy25 1 Mile North of McDonalds OPEN DAILY 10 AM PM SATURDAY 10 AM 6 PM MILTON 8782373