:)ý vro Ippf, ~r vmdi mJ'V--.if .. $H Page 28, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, February 1, 1995 Boards generaly supportive of commission report Alhuh there are some con- cerns, Durham's two achool boards are generally supportive of the Royal Comimission on Learning report releasedý last week. Among the recommendations in the 56-page report are educa- tional directions, described as the 'four'engines': teacher profes- sionalization and development, community alliances, early child- hood education and information technology.. Noting it was. too, early tp, comment on some of the orai- zational recommendations, Dur- han Board of Education directer Pauline Laing said she hoped the province "develops its reform in- itiatives in Uine with the four major learning themes of the report.» As for early childhood educa- tion, the report suggests sartn kids in school at age 3 and phasing out Grade .13 te offset the cost of earlier education. Laing says the board has «seri- ous concerns about the financial implications of adding another year te school,» refemrng te the suggesed change in early child- hoodeducation. She says the board, already conducting a project on early liter"wIll seek more informa- tion" "ut how this issuewill be managed.» As for teacher development, the report recommends the establishment of a college of tea- chers and extension of teacher training te a two-year term. The Durham. Bard -of Educa- tion believes that "unlessi there are significant improvements in the way teacher education is carried out, more time alone will not be the ansjwer.» She adds that partnerships in- volving the board <'make sysite- matic emphasis on lassroom strategies the cornerstone of tea- cher treaning. We have many excellent teachers in ur schools, and they need te share more in the preparation of our new young teaèhers.» Otherwise, Laing said her board was generally "very pleased» with the edlucational directions. Durham separate school board chair Tom Qîdman says the report "appears te have a handle on the pulse of the public.» He particularly Welcomed the recommendation te remove a se- tion of the Education A.ct that restricts the rights of separate boards tohire Catholic teachers beginning late this year. Hiealso said the Durham separate board %ivites discus- sion» with the Ministry of Educa- recommendations, including cen- tralized,,curriculu design, cen- tralized funding, common provin- cial reporting procedures, i- creased computer application and use of technology, and the introduction of school-community councils. The separate board'à director of education, Dr. Earl Laýroix, says. the commission 'has addressed the many issues we, as' educators, have talked about ini the past." «Our initial reponse is posit- ive,» says Oldman. .WiIIley Day at college 'Durhamn College designated Feb. 1 as «'Gordon Wiiley Day,' commemorating. the founding president, Dr. Cordon Willey. Durham ' College officiaily renamed the main buil ding of the Oshawa campus on 2000 Simncoe St. N. as the 'Cordon Willey Building.' Events te clebrate thes ecIa occasion were te incu ema heritage display, photographs and articles spanning several years of college histor;, a dress code contest (1967-1980 era) involving- staff and students; golden oldies tunes, hosted by student administration, in the main, cafeteria; and a film depicting the college's past. The officiai naming ceremony was te be held at 3:30 p.m.. in Cafe '71 of the main building. 'The day will end with social tea for ail participants. Dr. Charles Pascal, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, wasto attend. This week is one of the M' favourites for ail at Trafalgar. ltes Spirit Week, and that means lots of activities and fun. Abigail Pearson, head of the athletic association, bas put, together a fantasic assortment of unusual events with the help of her staff. The week started off with an exuberant chapel with everyone in bouse colours. Tuesday was 'Crazy Costume Day' with the wilder the costume the better -- but it is nlikely anyone can top Soýa Keissling' Carter Hous costume which is as outrageous as Sonja herdelf. d ak rs WVednesday is 'akad Day, highlighted bya bckwaYds lunch beginning with dessert and ending with grace. With such enthusiasm reverberating through the halls of Trafalgar, there can be no botter way to end the week than with a four-day, mid-term breakL The idea is that we ail taloe the tume te relax and recover from the vinter blahs but moet of us will probably be using the time te catch up on assignments and ISPs. Our volleyball prograni has neyer been-. so active msait isthis 6~ ptimists award youth £STLE terni. With enthusiastic coaching from Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. McKay and our Waterloo co-op student Renita ]Roxborough, practices start at 7 a.m. and the gaines are great fun whether we win or not. Last week we had speakers froni the Ontario Association for Adolescent Eating Disorders visit the school and talk te both students and staff. The girls found out sanie of the real facto about this disease which afflicts so many young people today. Trafalgar Castle's annual Ski Day was cancelled a few week ago because of lack of snow, but we will head te, the slopes on Feb. 10 if the weather.co-operates. A lot of us are looking forward to OUr first opportunity te snowboard. Even some of the fsculty have signed up for lessons in this popular new sport.-They assure us that they will stili be able te teach us calculus and English even if they do fali a few tumes and strain those old muscles and joints. With so much going on at Trafalgar Castle this terrm and Education Experience Week only a few weeks away, no one at Trafagar can ever say she has nothin-t do -- and'that's the wayitshuld1e. The Optimnist Club of Whitby is holding the aniual Youth Appreciation Week from Jan. 30 to, Feb. 5, te, celebrate ail the positive things youth do te make the coinmunity a better place. Co-ordinater for the event, Chandra Hunter, says she had no problem finding the 30 outstanding youth who will be awarded at an appreciation dinner on Feb. 4. The dinner is being held at-the Marigold Towne Restaurant at the Whitby Mail and there will be an awards ceremony after the meal. The following students will be receiving an award: for excellent leadership skMls within their ochools, unep Sodhi, Andrea Scholtes, Chris Leahy, Kristi Peshal, Sineni Aslin, Sarah Milton and Kyle Crouch; for teani spirit and sprsanship, Dale Chung, Michael Case, Robby ]Reid, Jade Richardson, Mark Smitts, Bryden Eisel, Andrew Nicholas and Adam Kilpatrick; for efforts te, preserve the environinent, Kelly Mahar, Sarah Leaney, Christine Didycz and Winnie Wong; for public service and volunteerism, Alex Grindlay, Sarah Bartlett,, Bryan Alldred, Robert McKeown, Heather Fry, Michelle McInnis, Graeme Brown, Greg Bartlett, Steve Edelson and Heather Woolsey. AVERAGE CLASS SIZE GOES UP SLIGHTLY New contract for high school1 teachers The Durham Board of Education and its secondary school teachers, represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSS'T), district 17, last week ratified a new collective agreement. The agreenient is for a three-year terni, covering the period froni Sept. 1, 1993 te Aug. 31, 1996; and covers approxiatey1,400 secondary teachers.ael The settiement was reached Dec. 22, 1994, with the assistance of a pro6vincial ,mediator... ,- A key feature is the resteration of experience increments for teachers which were withheld under the social contract. The agreement provides offsetting cost-saving measures that enable the board te restore the increments ta teachers, effective Sept. 1, 1996. The measures include group benefits restructuring, reorgan- ization of achool administrative structures, some staff' reductions in excess of those requred by the social contract, a reviSed saary payment,, schedulek -,reductiop n(.i principals and vice-principals, and elimination of paid educational improvement leaves. With the- measures, there is no increased cost te taxpayers. The. reduction of 22 classroom teachers is close te one less teacher per secondary school and will increase the average class size by less than one student per class. The settlenient also mses the resolution of ali outatanding soci contract implementation issues. Stephanie Summers TRAFALGAR'CÀA