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4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, December 8,1993 Education BHS Band Performs at Tree Lighting Ceremony Happenings at Ontario Street P.S. Hello, it's your Ontario Street reporters reporters again. We have lots of articles for you. Our Junior Choir performed its annual Rcmcmbcrancc Day Service at the Bowmanville Hospital on November November 10. The service was for the long-term patients. The choir sang, Peace, Last Night I Had The Strangest Strangest Dream, and, Wishes. Three grade six students, Melonie, Chanel, and Michelle read the poem 'In Flanders Field'. On November 11, Ontario Street School had its usual primary and junior junior assemblies. Once again the choir took part. The classes presented Remembrance Remembrance Day poems and skits to their fellow students. The primary students presented wreaths as part of the service. Our school was represented at the Cenotaph. The service started at 10:30 with the singing of our National National Anthem and the Lord's Prayer. A list was read of the men who fell in action from the Bowmanville area in the first World War followed by the list from the second World War. The Ceremony closed with the laying of the wreaths. The wreaths were donated donated by Bowmanville area schools and other places. This year, our school, held a parent-teacher parent-teacher interview. Parents came to visit the teachers and discuss their child's progress. The junior choir practices their songs in the gym at lunch recesses. They are preparing new songs for our Christmas Concert. This year, our float, was going to be better than ever before with Mine. Chilticks's class making a black and white paper machc penguin. Mme. Turcotte's class made a paper machc polar bear. The grade 4-5 students in Mme. Damccour's class made a paper machc walrus. Mr. Laganicr's students made a paper machc seal. Mme. Thompson's and Mme. Liau- taud's classes both made penguins. The teachers and some parents put the float together the evening before the parade. We arc happy to announce announce the our float won first place. On Tuesday, December 14, Ontario Ontario St. P.S. will be having their annual annual Winter Concert called "Le Pole Nord en Fete". Mme. Chittick's class will be emceeing the concert. Classes will be performing songs, plays and many other things. The junior and primary choirs will be singing songs about Christmas for the enjoyment of the parents. We will be having our dress rehearsal on the morning of the 14. We hope we are all at our best, Christmas break is coming soon. All of the kids get time off. Christmas Christmas break starts on December 17. We will all come back to school on January the 3,1994. Have a safe holiday! Sec you next time. Elections Staged at Board of Education Two familiar faces will head the Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education for the 1993-94 year. At the inaugural meeting December December 2, Judi Armstrong was elected chair of the board for the second year in a row while Vice chair Diana Stewart was also re-elected. Both were elected by acclamation. Judi Armstrong first ran for the board in 1985 and has since served St. Stephen's Student Looks into the Future by Alison McArthur The end of high school for OAC students looms, happily but sadly, only a few months away. Once grade nine students, regaled by promises of "these are the best days of your life" and "they will go by fast, so enjoy them", we now stand bewildered. These pronouncements pronouncements have proved true, for time has furiously sped by, without our full appreciation. Having ridden a roller coaster ride of discovery and emotion throughout the previous four years, we are now forced to question ourselves and our desires. What do we want to do for the rest of our lives? Good question! Universities and Colleges frequently frequently hold seminars to aid us in understanding understanding our opportunities. Exhilarating, Exhilarating, yet formidable, information is proffered, the administrators hoping hoping that it will make our selections easier. Hesitantly, we search for something compatible with our focus and goals, by examining campuses and program. However, as university application deadline nears, we reevaluate reevaluate our choices, literally hold ing our academic and professional futures futures in our hands. Of course, the possibility of remaining remaining in high school indefinitely is available - the security of the familiar being very tempting. We realize, though,' that there is little fame and fortune in choosing such a pursuit. Undoubtedly, we remember that the landmark age of 19 is achieved in this final year, compelling us onward. As stated by one OAC student at St. Stephen's Secondary, "We're getting old"; what a frightening thought! Legally, Legally, we will be considered 'adults', not adolescents. Though the majority of us are eager to be labelled as such, the headaches and bills (characteristics (characteristics of adulthood!) seem less appealing appealing than that of 'theoretically' idealistic idealistic high school life. Ultimately, high school is safe and secure when compared to the mysteries mysteries of the outside world. Yet, an underlying underlying excitement exists, epitomized epitomized by the butterflies in our stomachs. Our futures are vague. Take heart, our nervousness and apprehension apprehension are indispensable emotions, emotions, for they make the anticipation of our futures all the more thrilling. Alison McArthur on all major board committees as well as serving as chairperson of the education committee, and the special educational committee. Diana Stewart, formerly chairperson chairperson of the board for two years in a row, has served on the board since 1985 and has been a member of all major board committees as well as chairperson of a number of committees. committees. At an earlier board meeting, Armstrong Armstrong discussed the major accomplishments accomplishments of the board in the past year which included major savings in the plant department through new energy energy conservation measures, savings in transportation through the introduction introduction of staggered school hours, and significant savings through the recent re-organization of senior administration. administration. Discussing the new world under the social contract, she said, "once again, Queen's Park dictated and we danced. It was a bizarre, new dance that changed not only tempo but beat many, many times." She said "with the coopération and collaboration of all our employee groups we have managed to contain the negative impacts." impacts." Armstrong also highlighted the co-operative work with other boards, agencies and municipalities to improve improve services and to find ways to cut costs. Other new programs or policies, Armstrong highlighted include major curriculum changes, a safe schools procedure to deal with physical assault, assault, zero tolerance workshops for all staff, the outreach project to strengthen ties with the community, a, more effective way of meeting the ' needs of! school children through the "integrated children's service model," major new school construction projects, projects, and a number of environmental projects which have earned the board The Recycling of Ontario's award for outstanding institutional 3R initiatives. initiatives. Members of the grade ten band from Bowmanville High School played Christmas music for a crowd of around 1000 at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at the four comers in Bowmanville Friday night. Moonlight Madness sales afterwards on the main street attracted shoppers. The weather co-operated fully fully for the Christmas season kick-off. Durham Christian High School Report By Sarah Ridley Last Friday, eight students from DCHS went to Bowmanville Arena to help with a theatre production. The play, "A Christmas Carol", was presented presented in conjunction with the community community services dept. Four students went for the morning performance, and four for the afternoon. Students from Clarke High School also aided the production. An actor from a local theatre group played the larger parts, and the students played the background background characters. Student council has been busy lately with fundraising ideas. Workdays Workdays continue, and we have begun selling maps and map books. We arc selling the maps at the same price as in stores, but getting 50% profit. This is a great way to raise money for our school. We arc also going to sell pizzas pizzas (frozen) and school jackets are on the way. This year, for the first time, DCHS is having a Christmas Banquet. Banquet. It will include dinner, music, and live entertainment. A student committee has been set up to organize organize this event. We're all getting excited excited and anticipating a fun evening. DCHS is also hosting an evening of music this week. Ken Mcdema, a Christian composer, singer, and musician, musician, will be performing at Rehob- olh CRC. Proceeds go to Community Service Projects that Durham hopes to implement in the spring. This evening evening should prove to be wonderful, as Ken Medcma is an excellent musi cian, and his music is both entertaining entertaining and uplifting. Our various chapters are busy doing doing fundraising events to raise money for chapter expenses. Also, many chapters have a tuition assistance fund to help parents send their children children to Durham. Chapter events so far and coming up include: a bike-a- thon, bazaars, yard sales, and craft sales. Staff and students alike arc working working hard, academically. We began second term a few weeks ago and looming ahead is the threat of midterms. midterms. Fortunately, we have many events coming up in the next few weeks to distract us, and Christinas holidays arc just around the comer. I think wc all need the break! Jr Students Writing at Above Average Level Former grade twelve students with The Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education performed, in most cases, above the provincial average average in a provincial writing review undertaken in the 1991-92 school year. Minister of Education and Training Training Dave Cooke released the provincial provincial results this morning at a news conference in Toronto. Students were asked to write in a number of different styles and were assessed on two tasks - an assigned piece of writing and "a best piece," a writing sample they chose to submit. On the assigned writing task at the advanced level, 64 percent of students students provincially met the Ministry expectations while 65 percent of the board's students performed at the expected expected level. Other results: Assigned task General Level: provincial average - 63 percent, board average - 68 percent. Assigned task Basic Level - provincial provincial average - 72.5 percent, board average - 75 percent. Best Piece Advanced Level - provincial provincial average - 72 percent, board average - 68 percent. Best Piece General Level - provincial provincial average - 76 percent, board average average - 80 percent. Best Piece Basic Level - provincial provincial average - 82 percent, board average average - 89 percent. Trudy Lum, superintendent for instruction instruction responsible for curriculum for the board, said the local board was not selected by the province to participate in this review. "But wc chose to take part so that wc could develop more information to help us improve the effectiveness of programs programs and teaching strategics. We're committed to assessment that serves as a guide to improving teaching and learning." She said the board has already developed developed a proposed action plan for the results. They will be shared in detail with each school and then schools will lie asked to develop an individual plan for improvement. She noted the results arc "a snapshot snapshot of our students dating hack two years." Bruce Brydgcs, program and assessment assessment resource teacher with the board, said the results "have a wealth of detailed information about each school's writing program as seen from both the teachers' and the stu dents' point of view." And board consultant Dave Parker added, "Teachers will be able to gain insights into effective methods for teaching writing. Based on this, they will be able to develop a plan for their school to build on strengths and to deal with any areas of weakness." Board staff noted that 58 percent of students in grade twelve have chosen chosen to study at the advanced level. Of the 1,386 1993 grade twelve graduates, 56 percent went on to post-secondary education. Lum said, "There were many good things going on in our classrooms classrooms and they were reflected in this study. It's important now to share those practices throughout the board." Both Parker and Brydgcs agree that while it is valuable to focus on the final results, it is even more edifying edifying to explore the more detailed information information this survey provides the board. 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