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School dropâ€"outs in minority By KATHY YANCHUS Oakville Beaver Staff If you‘re thinking of dropping out of high school, chances are you won‘t, at least not if you attend within the Halton Board of Education. Results of a study conducted over the past five years which tracked the total number of Halton Grade 8 students through their high school years, showed that only 135 students or 4.71% of the original 2,862 students, dropped out. "We are encouraged by the results of the most recent retenâ€" tion study," said Joanne Zywine, Superintendent of Instructional Services. "We have reduced the drop out rate from just under 9% (in 1988) to just below 5%." Never before has the Board conducted such a meticulous study of this data, added Zywine. It was prompted by the frustration felt by educators about misinforâ€" 8 ment statistics and circulated by the media, which pegged the national drop out rate at 30%. That figure was arrived at, for one reason, because the method used to calculate it didn‘t involve "an accurate tracking system," said Zywine. A dropâ€"out in the Halton study is defined as someone who doesn‘t complete high school, either in Halton or elsewhere. According to Zywine, previous studies included in their drop out statistics, students who left school, moved and finished high school in another city. Using Halton‘s definition, drop out averages from previous studâ€" ies would be considerably lower, but not necessarily as low as in Halton, ~said Zywine. She attributes this fact to early interâ€" Moving Sale Mc Mc Entire Inventory Distinctive Canadian Clothing, Quilts, Gifts and collectibles cSeqawvinds S 221 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville 842â€"3116 Hours: Mon.â€"Thurs. Sat. 10 a.m.â€"5:30, Friday 10 a.m.â€"9 p.m. s LJY 3 63 CHOICE LATEX SEALER 96 oryÂ¥t uce 18 decorator whites P 4 After sale price e oc o ols IF YOU: are not satisfied with our product quality we‘ll replace the product or give you a refund; find a lower price within 30 days we‘ll refund the difference; PAINTER‘S CHOICE CEILING / sl 272 WHITE LATEX s Tug SI k10 ki 20%° THE OAKVILLE BEAVER These programs, which vary from school to school, target atâ€" risk students, kids who may not fit in socially, who aren‘t highly successful, who may not have a secure support structure at home or combinations of these eleâ€" ments, said Zywine. Socioâ€"economic factors influâ€" ence school retention figures, concluded Zywine, but can have opposite effects. Sometimes when times are tough and jobs aren‘t readily available, students are encouraged to stay in school. However, when families are struggling and students are "basiâ€" cally taking care of themselves," they don‘t have the finances to stay in school and they drop out, a factor she believes bumped up the drop out average slightly last year. The study, which has attracted the attention of other schoolâ€" boards, also showed that of the students who dropped out, 72.5% found jobs. _ Feb. 9, 199 WEDDING WALKING TOUR Downtown Oakville celebrated part of its Month of Love promotion on the weekend with the first Wedding Walking Tour. Taking advantage of the day were brideâ€"toâ€"be Jennifer Klein, groom Richard Rapley, the bride‘s mother Mary (left) and Carolyn Descotes of the Oakville Bridal Room. Oakville 825â€"1216 Milton 875â€"1245 Mondayâ€"Thursday 11 a.m.â€"5 p.m. Friday 11 a.m.â€"2 p.m. Hoftline: 8 a.m.â€"Midnight 1â€"800â€"550â€"4900 SUITE noreoace mau 209 50:75%. td SINGLE ROL *Reg. book price. o OFF* SELECTED BOOKS *Reg. book price. Matching fabric/accessories not included. Store books only. Jntroduets ESPRIT CUSTOM Â¥ MINI BLINDS ; .006 gauge aluminum, 10 fashion colors Limited lifetime warranty are dissatisfied with our service we‘ll send you a voucher equal to 10% of your purchase. See inâ€"store for complete details. mpjem Sale prices (excluding Factory Priced products) expire ‘M Mcr.Pl , 1994. Not all items available at all sfore:.P Mss 510 Speers Road 845â€"0848 STORE HOURS: Mon to Fri. 8:00 A.M.â€"9:00 P.M. Saturday 9 A.M.â€"6 P.M. Sunday 11 A.M.â€"4 P.M. FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE CALL 1â€"800â€"387â€"7311 1 TMATE GUAR® 3105 Dundas Street West 828â€"7070 STORE HOURS: Mon to Fri. 9:00 A.M.â€"9:00 P.M. (7:00 A.M. for Contractors) Saturday 9 A.M.â€"6 P.M. Sunday 11 A.M.â€"5 P,M. (Photo by Riziero Vertolli) Students seeking financial help for trip to sister city of Neyagawa By KATHY YANCHUS Oakville Beaver Staff Twentyâ€"four Oakville students will be carrying on a special traditic when they travel to Japan this summer. }f The tradition began 10 years ago when the town twinned wi Neyagawa, Japan and since that time, two other major student exchang have taken place. The program was launched with one student and has increased this ye to include 24 students and six teachers from T.A. Blakelock High Schog White Oaks Secondary School, Loyola and St. Thomas Aquinas Schools. â€" The exchange was open to Grades 10 and 11 students who were picke for their academic performance and contribution to school and communit The 24 participating students were selected through a meticulous screenir process which included leadership abilities, flexibility, ability to hand stress and interest in Japanese culture, according to Ron Armstrong, chai man of the TAB Japanese exchange committee. Fundâ€"raising for the 15â€"day exchange is currently underway. Aside fro their own planned fundâ€"raising ventures, the group is trying to garner fund from local businesses to help defray the $2,600 per person cost. Upcoming fundâ€"raisers include bingos at Country Town Centre, Fe 23rd, March 9th and 24th as well as a mammoth garage sale May 28th. As an offshoot of the student exchanges, TAB is offering a credit cou% in Japanese language, culture and history beginning this month. This cour is actually "a spillover" from Sheridan College‘s Adult Education J apanei language program, but the focus is the same: to provide a better langua; base for those going to Japan, whether it be a businessman, student tourist. Language has always been a real barrier for Canadian students travellit to Japan, says Ernie Kuechmeister, a retired school principal and chairmg of the Educational Exchange Committee, a subâ€"committee of the Oakvi Sister City Committee. Japanese students begin formal English training in what would be t equivalent of our Grade 7, so by the time they participate in an exchang they have a good handle on communicating in a second language, sa Kuechmeister. Canadian students, on the other hand, have no Japanese language traini and "this has been a concern of ours." If the TAB program is well received, organizers may set in motion t next step to establish a Japanese Immersion program where a Japanese tead er, fluent in teaching Japanese as a second language would come to Oakvi to teach an immersion course, and the setâ€"up would then be switched. The end result would be a group of teachers who could progressive increase their proficiency in Japanese, says Kuechmeister. But the opportu ty to familiarize themselves with Japanese language and culture would all be there for students interested in the Pacific Rim in the longterm for b ness or science career purposes. The process of gradually increasing Oakville‘s committment to its t city, however, is being handled in a "very cautious systematic way," sa Kuechmeister to determine interest and feasibility. IT‘S TIME FOR A CHANGE IN 1994!!! 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