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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, January 9, 2014 | 8 M The chronicle of a survivor of December's Ice Apocalypse there was already a generous coat of ice underfoot. We slalomed home singing Paul Simon's Slip Slidin' Away. Back home, we were greeted by the hug of electricity that had surged back on an hour earlier. We laughed at the cowards who cancelled plans on account of a little ice. We poured drinks and settled in to a rousing game Guest Contributor of cards with our daughter and her boyfriend. Warm, content, we had no notion that we were about to lose our power -- our heat, those keeping score at home. our water and toilets (pumped electrically), We nished our game of cards by candleour sanity -- for the better part of seven days, light. We stoked the re in the replace and right through Christmas. That's 160 hours, for headed to bed, ice beating on the windows, con dent (delusional) that come morning power would be restored. Come morning, as the ice continued raining down, we ventured out into an eerie silence, broken only by what sounded like gunshots as ice shards crashed out of trees, as tree limbs split. We surveyed the damage on our heavily-treed country acreage. It looked School Year 2014-2015 like a war zone. Seven trees had fallen on the laneway alone, making it impassible. We were Junior/Senior Kindergarten prisoners in our own home. Inmates in The Ice Apocalypse. On Day Two, we were visited by our Saviour Junior Kindergarten Senior Kindergarten -- no, not the Lord, but, rather, Ed, a friend Note: If your child is currently attending must be 5 years old must be 4 years old with a chainsaw. Under his expert guidance, one of our schools for Junior Kindergarten, by December 31, 2014 by December 31, 2014 with the help of assorted friends, we cleared a do not register for Senior Kindergarten. path of escape. To determine your designated home school, access our website www.hdsb.ca and click on the All told, we spent three days and, worse, "Schools" tab, then "School Locator". Call your designated school to find out which dates y wife and I had dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant. In an ice storm. Of course, when we made the reservations we had no notion that on the Saturday we were to dine the skies would open and cascade ice upon our world. As we dressed for dinner, our power ickered, then died. We nished dressing in the dark, silhouetted by a dim ashlight. We arrived at the restaurant and found the place practically empty as wimp upon wimp cancelled in anticipation of The Ice Apocalypse. When we left the restaurant, sated and feeling good about heading into the holidays, That's Life Andy Juniper REGISTER NOW three long nights at home, playing Survivor: ghting to not freeze -- sleeping by the re in our winter clothes, boots included. Barbecuing everything in sight, including water for coffee. Battling big-time boredom. And discovering that while we were indeed without power, we were not powerless. Ah, who am I kidding? On Day Four we put our meager pioneer spirit to rest and abandoned our abode. We packed up some clothes, all our Christmas essentials -- everything from gifts we'd bought to food we'd planned on cooking -- and headed to Oakville. To the well-lit, warm and welcoming house owned by our son and his ancée: Matt, Ashley, we owe you big time, for the love, the light, the liquor, and all other essentials you provided. At nine a.m. on Day Seven, Neighbour Dave called with news most joyous. Power. Restored. "Dave," I rejoiced, "I could kiss you!" Apparently not having lost his sense of humour over the course of seven dire days of darkness, Dave replied over the phone line: "Go ahead, I'm leaning to the left." That's what got us through The Ice Apocalypse: the love, concern, untold generosity, and the buoying good humour of family, friends, neighbours and, yes, even sympathetic strangers. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook www. facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www. twitter.com/thesportjesters. have been established for Kindergarten registration. Please bring the following original documents with you to register: car registration, utility bill, residential telephone bill, moving bill, property tax bill, health card, bank statement, credit card statement, correspondence with a government agency. Come and hear about the great opportunities for your children The Halton District School Board takes pride in offering excellent Grade 1 programs to the students in their communities. Every school in the Halton District School Board with Grade 1 will be running Parent Information Sessions in January 2014. Parents are invited to attend one of the information sessions, listed below, to gain an understanding of the programs offered in our schools: English Literacy and Math, Core French, French Immersion, Special Education supports and programs, extra-curricular opportunities and other initiatives unique to each school. Grade 1 Program Sessions for Single Track English Schools: Mon. Jan 13 Tues. Jan 14 Wed. Jan 15 New Central PS (133 Balsam Dr) - 6 pm Brookdale PS (1195 Bridge Rd) - 6:30 pm · Capt R Wilson PS (2145 Grand Oak Trail) -7 pm Montclair PS (1285 Montclair Dr) - 6:30 pm Abbey Lane PS (1160 Old Abbey Lane) - 6 pm · Gladys Speers PS (2150 Samway Rd) - 6:30 pm Maple Grove PS (288 Maple Grove Dr) - 6:00 pm · Sheridan PS (1555 Lancaster Dr) - 6:30 pm West Oak PS (2071 Fourth Line) - 7 pm Eastview PS (2266 Hixon St) - 6:30 pm · Emily Carr PS (2255 Pine Glen Rd) - 7 pm Falgarwood PS (1385 Gainsborough Dr) - 6:30 pm · Joshua Creek PS (1450 Arrowhead Rd) - 6 pm Post's Corners PS (2220 Caldwell Dr) - 6 pm · River Oaks PS (2173 Munn's Ave) - 6:30 pm WH Morden PS (180 Morden Rd) - 4 pm Oakwood PS (357 Bartos Drive) - 8:15 am Grade 1 Parent Information Sessions If you are not the child's parent, or if you have sole custody, please bring proof of custody (court order). Parents should contact the Principal/Vice-principal if they require accessibility accommodations in order to register their child for kindergarten. Please register your child by February 7, 2014. For further information, please contact: Note: Thurs. Jan 16 Fri. Jan 17 Grade 1 Program Sessions for Dual Track and Single Track French Immersion Schools: Tues Jan 21 Palermo PS (2561 Valleyridge Dr) - 7 pm Pilgrim Wood (1551 Pilgrim's Way) -6:30 pm Forest Trail PS (1406 Pine Glen Road) - 6:30 pm Heritage Glen PS (1641 Heritage Way) - 6:30 pm Pine Grove PS (529 Fourth Line) - 6:30 pm Sunningdale PS (1434 Oxford Ave) - 7 pm E.J. James PS (338 Cairncroft Rd) - 6:30 pm James W. Hill PS (2860 Kingsway Dr) - 6:30 pm Munn's PS (1511 Sixth Line) - 6:45 pm Wed Jan 22 / 905-842-2486 : (Halton Multicultural Council) Thurs Jan 23