PAGE 20, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1989 Dianne Randall Liz Aruta These past few weeks have been tension-packed for many students as semester one final report cards came out on Feb. 9, hopefully to the joy of some parents! As well, last week we had our option assemblies on Feb. 16 and 17. Starting on Feb. 20, guidance counsellors and subject teachers have been available at noon hour to answer any questions. These completed option sheets were due today. There are also numerous school trips planned for this semester. Feb. 8-12, 21 students, Mr. Foster and Ms. Fantacci had a fabulous time at St. Donat, Quebec, while taking part in this cultural excursion. April 3-9, 26 students will travel to Baie Comeau as part of an interprovincial ekchange. Then, of course, there is the trip in March to Greece and Rome for five students. Fortunately for some graduates, on Monday the announcement was made that 25 more tickets for our prom at the Copa were available. As well, athletic banquet tickets are available this week with only a $5 deposit. On Friday, Feb. 17, the students took part in an assembly about the subject of drunk driving. A police officer and two victims of a drunk driving accident spoke to us of the severity of such an act. I hope this encouraged more of our students to join our AADD group (Anderson Against Driving Drunk) as it is a one very important message. In sports, all club photos were taken for the yearbook on Monday, as we draw one season to a close and begin another. Our hockey team's first playoff game is on Friday, and the junior boys' basketball team completed their season with a fabulous finale. Last week they defeated D'OC, thus finishing with a 9-1 record in league play and a season record of 20 wins and 5 losses. They are tied for first place and playoffs are this week. Way to go Raiders! Sean Whitehead BRUCE MATHER, retiring director of education for the Dur- ham board, and wife Joan at his Feb. 4 retirement dinner at the Pickering rec com- plex. Mather will also receive the Colonel Watson award (for sig- nificant contribution to the field of curricu- lum), to be presented by the Ontario Ontario for Curriculum Deve- lopment on April 6. vince ohprocio.Free Press photo Second semester has finally begun after some delay. The cancellation of the first day of exams due to weather conditions forced a delay in the beginning of second semester classes. Then, just as the new semester began, a professional activity day made the first week back to classes only two days long. But now students and teachers are in the regular swing of things. The only reminder of first semester were the final reports which were handed out on Feb. 17. Hopefully, most studerits were satisfied with their marks. If not, there is a whole semester ahead in which they can improve themselves. In the past week and a half our clubs and teams have been extremely busy. All available gym time has been scheduled by the various teams in preparation for upcoming season finals. Our senior boys' basketball team is slated to do very well in LOSSA action as the team is now in first place in its division. The boys still have games to play which will decide how they will be ranked in the championships. Good luck, boys! Our senior girls' volleyball team has pulled off a perfect 12-0 record to put the girls in first place as they go into LOSSA. The junior girls have also qualified for the LOSSA championships this coming week. Coach Simpson has high hopes for this team. It is the best teai DO'C has ever sported in the junior division. Medals are expected from both senior and junior girls. I'm sure they'll deliver. Our midget girls' team, however, is in an awkward position as its standing depends heavily on the wins or losses of another school. Depending on the record of Paul Dwyer High School, DO'C may draw a three-way tie for third place which might knock the teani out of contention for the LOSSA championship. Good luck to them. The first day back to school after exams was Ash Wednesday. The DO'C community celebrated a school mass to mark the beginning of Lent. During this lenten season we, as Christians, sacrifice something for 40 days and nights just as Christ did for us. However, the lenten season did not hamper the celebration of Valentine's Day in an appropriate way. Cards, candies and kisses were exchanged on Feb. 14 as tradition says they should be. Denis O'Connor students and teachers also displayed a tremendous loving attitude as the Ajax-Pickering Hospital was presented with a healthy cheque for $1,600 for the hospital's extension fund. This display of generosity is a prime example of the spirit here at DO'C. What better way to start off a week than with 'spirit.' Yes, it's Spirit Week at Henry and we will be hosting various activities throughout the week. On Monday it was 'Beach Day' (dress up in shorts and a t-shirt). Tuesday is 'Flower Power Day' (dress up like a hippie); Wednesday is 'Nerd' or 'Pyjama Day' (dress up like a nerd or dress up in your pyjamas); Thursday is my favorite day, it's 'Slave Day.' In order to obtain a slave you must have the highest bid at the auction, and you have him/her for a day. You may get the slave to carry your books, feed you your lunch, tie up your shoes and many other funny and embarrassing things (Beware, Lori Chambers, I just got paid!); Friday is 'Purple and Gold Day' (dress up in any purple or gold article and show your school spirit). In sports, a congratulations goes out to the girls' midget junior and senior volleyball teams. The midget girls' tean completed league play with a win against Bowmanville, winning two games to one. Telost to Eastdale two gaines to one but placed second and qualified for LOSSA. The junior girls also completed their league play with straight game wins over Bowmanville and Eastdale to bring their record to eight wins and two losses. This record qualified for the LOSSA playoffs. The senior girls also completed their league play with two straight wins over Eastdale and Bowmanville. The senior girls also qualified for LOSSA. This is an excellent showing by all levels of the girls' volleyball teams. Good luck in the playoffs. Talking about playoffs, Henry's hockey tean will be starting their playoffs pretty soon. Last week they defeated Brock but lost to a very strong Donevan team. The Hawks' first playoff game.is against the Ajax Rams. Community school report The success of a Whitby com- munity school program was a highlight of the Durham Board of Education meeting on Feb. 13. Bill Peel, who chairs the com- munity school program board at Pringle Creek Public School, reported on the success of the past year's community school programs. Peel said there had been no damage to school property dur- ing the first year of operation due to a "strict enforcement and supervision schedule to guard against such occurrences." Staff relations between school staff and the staffers ot the community school programs has been good, enhanced by the com- munity school board's purchase of equipment much desired by the school, he said. A revenue of $33,181.15 was raised by year-end,.and expenses (beyond the funding provided by the Durham Board of Education and the Town of Whitby) were $24,865.30. The surplus of $8,315.85 was used to purchase a tug of war rope, volleyball posts and nets, scooter boards, wrestling/gym- nastic mats and a $1,500 contri- bution to the purchase of an electronic sports scoreboard. The consequences of drinking and driving By Debbie Luchuj£ Anderson CVI students lear- ned first- hand what the effects of drinking and driving are last Friday afternoon. Const. John Logan of Durham Regional Police community ser- vices and two students from Lak- afield District Secondary School spoke to the packed gymnasium. Melissa and Michelle Hague, both 17, spoke on the effect that a drinking driver had on their lives four years ago. Melissa, 13 at the time, her mother and younger sister were in a car travelling into Lakefield to get some chicken for the fam- ily's supper on Oct. 28, 1983. A drunk driver hit them head on at approximately 10:45 p.m. on Hwy 28. Logan related the details of the police report from the local police report. "They found the driver cantan- kerous, and drunk. He was im- mediately placed under arrest. "In the other car, the officer found a young lady behind the steering wheel, with a gaping hole in her forehead. In the rear seat was a young girl screaming that she couldn't move her legs, and a three-year-old in the front seat." The girl in the back seat was Melissa. She was sent to Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto, but was plaralyzed from the waist down. Melissa suffered from complete severing of her spinal cord. Her mother died, with exten- sive brain damage. The driver, Peter Billings, was found to have had 264 milli- grams of alcohol in his blood- stream. MICHELLE (left) and Melissa (middle) Hague spoke about effects of drinking and driving at an assembly at Anderson CVI last Friday. They were assisted by Durham Regional Police officer John Logan. Free Pres photo His first memory after the accident was, according to Logan "being told there had been a a accident, and one of four officers said to him, "You're going to jail, buddy. "He claimed Const. Peter McGinnis (officer on the scene) treated him rudely." Melissa, her twin sister Michelle, and younger sister live with their dad. Melissa and her sister described what is was like to live with the consequences of someone else's carelessness. "My mother's life was very important to me. This guy didn't think ourlives were as valuable as his was. "My family had a life sentence and he was in jail for 24 months. We forget statistics are real people. "I am really scared to drive on the highway now, and I know it could happen again. "What's a million dollar law- SEE PAGE 26