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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 17, 2013 | 10 The Regional Municipality of Halton OAKVILLE OCS offers a place and pace for all to learn continued from p.5 "When I first started here in 1985, the school was only about three years old. It was almost like a mission," she recalled. Black said teacher salaries were low and there were few resources for teachers to use other than student workbooks. "Teachers here have always been really dedicated. Even in those times when we didn't get paid very much, we actually spent our own money to put books on the shelves. I'd go to garage sales and try to find some educational games and things. It was very much starting out," she said. The environment slowly changed over the following 10 years, said Black, but despite it, the teachers were committed and worked hard to give their students the best education they could. Today, it's a much different scene at the OCS. "Now, I feel like we're so rich in resources, having a beautiful computer lab and Smart Boards in every room, technologies, our bookshelves are overflowing. We've got a lot of resources to do a good job with teaching." The school offers enriched and differentiated learning for every student. Differentiation could mean giving a student a greater challenge than the Ontario curriculum level in one particular subject or providing them with extra support, if necessary. Though Black is not a resident of Oakville, her children attended OCS. She called it a community where everybody knows one another and where older students mentor younger ones. "Oakville Christian School is a great place to grow up," she said. Oakville's Alison Kelford-Smith, has been a parent of children at the school for nearly 20 years -- her oldest child started preschool there in 1993. All four of her children attended the school, the last one graduating a year ago. Kelford-Smith said the school was a good environment for her children as each had access to things they liked. "For one of my sons, he had an opportunity to work independentCarpet Cleaning Specialists Since 1952 ly so they really facilitated that for him. When he was interested in an area that was a little outside of the curriculum, the teachers encouraged him to pursue that and he could learn individually. That was important for him," she said. RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Kelford-Smith said some of her WALL TO WALL FURNITURE & UPHOLSTERY children were into sports and were AREA RUGS PERSIAN & ORIENTAL able to participate in teams, while others liked more academic work and had extracurriculars available Truck Mount In-Plant Service to them for that. Water Damage Restoration "I think everybody found a place there although each place See the transformation of what was a little different. Despite the we can do in relation to others! fact that it's a small school, they had a wide range of activities both within the classroom and outside the classroom and really tried to engage the children so they remained interested in school," Kelford-Smith said. The family had initially chosen the school for its proximity to their home when their oldest daughter was entering preschool. VOTED BEST CARPET But, even after the family moved & RUG CLEANERS farther away, they kept their chil13 YEARS IN A ROW! Drop-off dren there. Discount! "Initially we had planned to educate our kids in the public school FREE 250 mL SPOTTING BOTTLE system, but once we started at www.onthespotcleaning.ca OCS, we were so impressed by the environment there that we decided to leave them there," Kelford1446 WALLACE RD. QEW Smith said. OAKVILLE, ON Speers To learn more about OCS, visit Wallace www.ocsonline.org. Household Waste Collection Notice Please Note Collection Day Changes Tues Wed Thurs Fri Mon Sat Victoria Day Area 1, 2, 3, 4 Victoria Day May 20 21 Collection Moves Area 5, 6, 7, 8 23 24 25 Collection Moves 22 Due to the Victoria Day holiday, household waste collection services the week of May 20 will take place the day after your regular collection day. Please place your waste at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled holiday collection day. Please check your 2013 Waste Management Guide and Collection Calendar for your collection area details, or visit www.halton.ca/wastecalendar to create email, phone or Twitter waste collection reminders, or to add your waste collection dates to your personal iCal, Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook calendar. Halton Waste Management Site will be closed Monday, May 20, 2013 Regular Operating Hours Open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton On The Spot! For a full list of fees, access Halton Region by dialing 311 or visiting www.halton.ca/waste. Recycle Your Plastic Plant Pots & Trays Look What's NEWin Blue Put empty plastic plant pots and trays in your Blue Box for recycling. You can also visit www.halton.ca/takeitback for a list of retailers that take back plastic plant pots and trays for recycling. in the garbage. 25% Stay Connected! @HaltonRecycles HaltonRecycles HaltonRecycles.ca HaltonRecycles 170513 Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. 905-825-4256 Bronte