Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, November 6, 1996, Page 21 rT~r~ Pekkey Ha Trafalgar Castie Trafalgar sent three of our better public speakers and their coachies, Mn., Palmer and Mrs. Bagnall, to the four-day international pubic speaking competition at Bishop Straclian School lest weekend. Despite stiff opposition from a particularly impressive British teem, our students acquitted themselves very wel in each of the. four categories: prose reacling, newscest, dramatic interpretation and the always hazardous impromptu. Rachel Tan delivered lier witty plea from 'Bessy the. cow' as an after-dinner speech, Michelle Kaufman presented Joyce Carol Oates' monologue of an anorexic, "ndRoxanne Christian made an impassioned yet tongue- in-cli.,k appeal to stop technology before it's too late. She thouglit the. world could *us. more Luddites; penliape she is night? To celebrate Halloween, w. declared Oct. 31 a dress- up day. Brenda Desmoulin and Elizabeth Bryan collected a léoni. per girl on Wednesday, but tiien, 1k. magic, w. had no students on Thursday. W. did have witches, thougli, and a mad scientist or two, some cartoon characters, pumpkins, monke, dancers, clowns and rabbits, but Trafalgar kilts were pretty hard to spot. Michael Keaton even put in an unscheduled guest appearance with a voluptuous and strange, but very shy, 'new girl'; Mrs. Smith frosted jack o'lantern cupcaires tor a epecial treat, and prizes for beet costumes were awarded after lunch to Paige Canion, Sarahi Grass and Alexa Begy. A creative pumpkin-carvmng cont.st was lield the. night before Halloween for the boarders, witli top prizes won by Fff. Tih. Parent-toacher Conférence Ail Parents are COncerned about their child's education. What manY Parents would 1k. to do à "b. the. fly on the. Wall" ini their 'Child's dassro ... but that is just not Possible. The. parent-teacher conference i. the. best view to the *window of the classroom. Parent-teacher communication should occur frequently tliroughout thie year. Penliape on. of the most important times is tii. scieduled parent-teacher conference that occurs after the. child lias had a formai evaluation - report card time. Conferences lielp to develop a close Working relationahip betwe.n teacher and parent. It also offers the teacher and parent the. opportunity to plan for the total development of the cbild. Ultiznately, knowing that the parant is iqvolved in their education gives ti. child a feeling of security. Here are some suggestions that parents can do to prepare for the parent-teaclier conference: 0 be clear about what you are goizig to say or ask. If neessaiy, list the. important thinge you wisli to discus beforehand; *collect any materials (ie. clase work, tests, assignments) that you may wish to ask about; ,@ try to keep the meeting positive aven when you feel that you muet mention spediflc things you mayb. unhappy about; a ask to see other samples of your child's work to gain a clearer picture about your child'e work and the. curriculum being tauglit; a explain any or ail concerns your child may have mentioned to you at home and let the. teacher know tiiat you toc, ehare thos., same concerns; *ask the teacher what you can do as a parent to assist' your child on an ongoing basie; 9 end the conference on a warmn and positive note, penliape sclieduling another' time to meet as a follow-up. Thes. sugestions wiil help the. parent gain insight into thei r child'e education and also help the. teaciier gain a better understanding of the par.nt's concern and expectations. Remember that the claeeroom teacher ie tiiere to, help. Keeping the. limes of communication open will only help to generat. a sens., of ease and teamwork as the. parent and teacher work together to, achieve wiiat ie best for the. child. Miead Poeoer is the buainesa atudiesa dment heud at FWther Leo J. Austin Ckthoiie Soeondwry SchSZl and the franchs owner of »'A-Litfke-Extra-Help Ttorng Service in Whitby. Jennifer 'George-Johin Twinky Sharma, Susan Klm, Jimin Ann, Reiko and Cassandra Wong. Our annuel charity bazaar was lield on Nov. 2. This yeas organizers were Noelle Cheng and Jenny Smith, heads of the. student fellowship group, and their faculty advisoer, Mrs. Sigsworth. Faculty contributed special-occasion baskets, students brouglit baking, international collectibles and worked on crafts, alumnae and parents donated their time and talents and everyone spent money and went home happy. It really was a whole- échool effort and, thougli w. may have felt rushed and impatient towards the. end of bazaar week, w. ail noticed the. specrial, bond that formns when we work together on an endeavour of this size. From fashion show to raffe, plants and booke to bebysitting, international foods to mystery jars, we ail played our littie parts and- pulled off a great day. Al proceeds from this day are donated to, charities, some of 'Whicliinclude Denise Houe, Amnesty International, Toronto'e Hospital for Sick Obuîdren and Yonge Street Mission, World -Vision, St. John Bosco Home in Jamaica, India's Seema Training Centre and thre. foster cidren from the 'Conferencing' at Sinclair Parent- Student - Teacher Conferenclng will be held at Sinclair Seoendary School Wednesday, Nov. 13,2:30 ta 4 p.m. and 6 ta 8 p.m. Studentsamar encouraged tu attend and can- make appointmnts with subject teachers for their parents. Instructions wlll b. dlufrlbuted wlth'report cards on Fniday, Nov. 8. Call W. Palmer at 666-5400 for more information. United we lift UNITED WAY business division chair gle to lut the 114 pouncis of pennies Doug Kempv-Welch watches as West -- about $1 68 -they collecteci for the Lynce Pubic School students strug- United Way. i Photo by Mark ReesorWhitby Fmo Proue Tanya Hunterf Alana Koster Sinclair Secondary School Midtermn reports alreadyl These reports mark the halfway point of the semester, and could alo spell disaster for some. Reports will be distributed this Fniday, Nov. 8. Parent- student-teacher conferences wiil be lield Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 2:30 te, 4 p.m., and 6 to 8 p.m. Students are to make appointments for their parents on Nov, il and 12. Appointment information will b. attached te, the report carde. Hungry? Seniors are! Tis year our lunch hour is eplit into two pexiode. Juniors have acces. te, the caf in the firet half of lunchi and seniors the second. Ther. le a bell halfway througli the lunch peniod to let juniors know. that their time is over and, it is time for seniors te go in. We, amongst many other senior students wiio wait outoide the caf for our turn'to eat, have noticed that the majonity of junior students leave the cafpnior te the bell, thus leaving behind mnany emptY' tables. W. can undrstand the, importance of- a bell if .conflict arises betwe.n juniors and seniors finding a place to eat in the caf, but we don't undèetand why w. need te wait outsid, the caf until the bell, wiien a majority. of the tables are empty. W. think that as long as seniors are not booting juniors out of their smats before the bell, seniors sliould b, able toetert their lunch *early. Ià kewise, juniors who ne.dl extra time to finish their lunch after the bell, sliould'b. able to as long as ail seniors have found a spot. Why can't w. juet al get along?