PAGE 30, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12.1989 Nicole Lambert The week whisked by here at Denis O'Connor High School. The upcoming production of the musical 'Grease' is keeping cast and crew members on their toes. The cast are arxiously tuning up their voices and practicing their dance steps. While many admit that a sense of nervous anxiety is setting in, others claim there is just too much going on to start worrying. Everyone at DO'C is anticipating the day of the preview which will be held for the student body. Performances begin April 26 and continue until April 29. Good luck to everyone involved! 'Fast for life' was held April 7 and 8. There was an excellent turnout, and the fast was very successful. All of the students enjoyed their overnight stay immensely. Students participated in a sing along, and were informed about many world issues including discussions on third world countries. The student council posted a sign-up list for those daring students who wish to stand up in front of the school for the Air Band contest. Try outs were held last Wednesday and Thursday, and the contest will take place April 14. Some "interesting" acts are sure to be the result, which ususally leaves the spectators doubling over in laughter or applauding their approval. Students will be able to display their real abilities when we hold our annual talent show in the near future. Thursday was "hat and sunglasses day" at DOC. Another exciting idea for spirit month from our student council. Many students showed off their outrageous hats, but complained it was just too foggy for sunglasses. Soccer try-outs were held for girls, and practices have already begun. Neither senior nor junior teams were happy about practicing in the rain. If you looked really hard you might see a couple dozen girls doi exercises in the hallways at DO'C. One tean which won't beeffecte by an weather as just started up, the bowling team. The cheerleading squad has been practising hard for a big competition. They'll be participating against all of the other squads in Ontario. They are working on their routines morning and night. They have certainly earned the admiration of the students and teachers at DO'C. Field lacrosse is starting up. Track and field is in progress. Field trips or retreats are in the near future. I leave you now with hopes of good weather and fortune. Dianne Randali The time of the fashion show is finally here! Tomorrow night (April 13) at 8 p.m. in our school for only $5 you can preview the new spring/summer fashions. Environnent Week is also fast approacbing. Be sure to keep up te date on the events taldng place as they are very interesting. The auditions for the Anderson talent show were early tbis week and we look forward to seeing the talent of some of our students. Finally, in school events, our last dance of the year takes place on April 28. This dance is being organized by the ASAA and will be a fun time with an airband/beach party theme. Entries for the airband show had to be in by Monday, but we look forward to seeing these shows. Tickets are only $4 -- be there!* In sports for this season, everything is underway. On April 6, our senior girls' soccer the team played an excellent game agamst Ajax. Their first league game, however, was yesterday (April 11), for both our junior and senior teams. Track training is underway for the season. Last week in LOSSA west, our mixed doubles competed in badminton. Finally, we al look forward to the rugby season's home-opener against Henry on April 25. SOME OF the models for Thursday's fashion show at Anderson CVI are ( clockwise from left) Michael Stein, Rhonda Kellar, Barb Bright, Nicky Grace, Lisa Lauter and Rae Bae. Fr..s oe photo ACVIPmrpares for show Anderson CVI is a hive of activity as preparations continue for that harbinger of warmer weather, the annual 'Spring Fashion Show,' to be held Thurs- day, April 13, starting at 8 p.m. The woodworking shop resounds with the sawing o wood and hammering of nails as classes prepare props for the stage. Students from the art department then take over to transform the wooden creations into a sunny fantasy world of water, blue skies and golden pillars. Students have designed, pain- ted and distributed posters and tickets well in advance of the event. Models have practised and refined their routines to dis lay clothing. The aroma of home ak- ing wafts through the school ha lways as refreshments are prepared for distribution by school prefects during intermis- sion. And the sweet tones of Jazz Incorporated add to the hum of activity. Many stores have loaned clothes, jewelry and accessories, along with hairstyling for models, plants and flowers for the stage, door prizes for viewers. The show will raise money to send a blind teenager to a sum- mer camp operated on Lake Joseph by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). The camp offers many water activities and camping as well as lifeskills workshops to prepare teenagers for life in the sighted world. Trustees discuss concerns with minister By Debbie Luchuk Oyercrowding, lot levies, the capital forecast, and renovations to schools were main topics of discussion when selected mem- bers of the Durham Board of Education and staff met with Ontario Minister of Education Chris Ward éonday afternoon. "We requested that the minis- ter meet with members cf our board to underline our problems, and it was a peasant session," chairman Lorna Murphy said Monday. \" Murphy, vice chair Ian Brown of Whitby, trustee Louise Farr of Pickering, director of. education Pauline Laing and superinten- dent of business Brian Cain attended the 45-minute meeting at the ministry in Toronto. MPPs Bill Ballinger and Allan Farlong were also in attendance. "He certainly was open, and receptive, and quite knowledg- able (about our situation), and remembered what he had seen in Durham (on previous visits). "I think the ministry is looking positively at lot levies, and we expect t he capital allocations to be announced in the next two to three weeks. "He assured us that allocations (te public and separate boards) will balance over the year," Mur- phy said, referring to recent figures that suggest that the ministry gave significantly more funding to separate boards in 1988. During Monday night's school board meeting, the meeting was further discussed for the benefit of the whole board. Brown added to Murphys ear- lier comments, and said "e (Ward) inquired as te our feel- ings about debenturing and lot levies.t Ward's brief quee intoithe board's feelings on debenturing sparked the most debate, as the board is now almost debt-free. "Mr. Ward dees not think debenturing is a bad wayof meeting capital needs. We res- ponded that we had studied the issue intensively two years ago. We said we hoped the Province would meet the committment for allocations to local boards," Brown continued, further explaining Ward'sstatement to board members. Ward compared debenturing to the mortgage on a home, imply- ing that sometimes it is necess- ary te go into debt to finance caita1 needs. A decision to mortgae a house is an individual decision, and we have to consider the taxpayers (when we make the decision to debenture)," Oshawa trustee Cathy O'Flynn said. Farr added that she thought provincial initiatives and manda- ted programs should be funded at the provincial level. "If a decision is made at the provincial level, let's fund it at the -rovincial level," she said. Board letter to outline disparities Durham Board of Education trustees voted to send a letter outlinin the disparities in general 'eslative grants in 1988 between t e ublic and separate boards to alf MPPs and to all regional media at their meeting Monday night. Board and teachers satisfied with agreement By Debbie Luchuk Although Durham Board of Education public school teachers didn't get the deal they wanted from the board they are "fairly satisfied" with increases in wages, allowances and changes to benefit plans. The one-year agreement, rea- ched on March 9 after seven months of negotiation, calls for a 4.85 per cent wage increase retroactive to the beginning of the period, with further special adjustinents depending on a tea- cher's category, effective Feb. 1, 1989. Principals' salaries will range from $59,500 to $64,500, effec- tive Sept. 1, 1989. Allowances will range from $3,050 to $4,600 for "A school rnipals and from $1,885 to 1,950 for "B" school vice princi- pals and principals'assistants. Other allowances for consul- tants will range from $500 to $3,050, effective Sept. 1, 1989. Changes to benefit plans in- clude: imcreased maximums for group life insurance; upgrading from 1986 W 1988 Ontario Den- tal Association rates, effective 1, 1989; and increased vision care coverae. The Ontario Public School Tea- chers' Federation, Durham Dis- trict, and the Durham Women Teachers' Association negotiated with the board for the deal. Niva Rowan, president of the Durham Women Teachers' Asso- ciation said, -«We got the best deal we could get, considering the number of months we were in negotiations. We were rather anxious Wo settie, and so was the board." Both teachers' groups negotia- ted for wage parity with the secondary teachers' contract negotiated earlier this year; not all teachers, however, will achieve this level of wages. "We wanted and anticipated parity with the secondary tea- chers, and achieved this for (teaching) categories A-i to A-4. "Non- egree categories.didn't do as well, and they work just as hard as degree teachers. It's still the same increase (in wages), but they are paid less to start with," Rowan said. Principals'salaries did not rise to parity with Peel and York boards of education, to the cha- grin of the teachers' negotiating team. "We had wanted parity with Peel and York (for principals' salaries) as they are comparable boards. We will have to go on fighting to get them (the board) to seethat," she said. The teachers had also wanted parity with the Peel and York ar s or allowances, and did not achieve this in the contract. "However, they are better than what we first heard from the board," Rowan said.... The improvenment in vision and dental care benefits pleased the teachers, especially the change in the dental benefit from 1986 dental rates to 1989 dental rates. "It was a fairly good deal em°"sde"ri we dx no h" ave items on the table)," Rowan said. ond acof Elementary teachers e We are pleased to have it (contract) settled," said Durhani board chairman Lorna Murphy. "We would have liked to see a two-year agreement, but we couldn't achieve it this year. "Overall, we're satisfied witi what we settled at and I thin the teachers were satisfied, too."