Great read for dog and students

On September 28th, Guy Lauzon, Member of Parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, tabled a private member’s bill, Bill C-292, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (victims’ restitution and monetary awards for offenders).

“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce an amendment to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. This amendment will ensure that any monetary amount awarded to an offender pursuant to a legal action or proceeding be paid to victims and other designated beneficiaries,” said Lauzon in the House of Commons on September 28, 2011.

“This amendment ensures victims of crimes come first and criminals do not profit from their crimes. Just another example, Mr. Speaker, of this Government putting the rights of victims ahead of the rights of criminals.”

[…]

When the Leader spoke to Kelty Grant, the principal of Iroquois Public School, Thursday, August 30, plumbing and construction work was still undergoing a few last minute tweaks in the school’s three newly renovated kindergarten classrooms, but “everything is going to be finished, everything set up in time for our opening day on September 4. This is going to be a very exciting time here at IPS.”

Tuesday, September 4, Iroquois Public School joins other area elementary schools in offering full day kindergarten every day.

Morrisburg Public School and Nationview already have full day kindergarten. Timothy Christian offers full day kindergarten on alternate days. St.Mary-St.Cecelia’s has two full day programs, kindergarten and their Ready to Learn program, which alternate.

 There are currently 25 children registered for each of the three classes at Iroquois Public School. There is a full time qualified teacher and a full time early childhood educator in each classroom.

The teacher and the ECE work in partnership. They plan lessons and do assessments together, combining their skills and areas of expertise. Teachers tend to be more trained in curriculum literacy and numeracy, while childhood educators are experienced in building play based learning and the creation of centres. 

“The combination is a powerful and dynamic one,” Grant said, “and the children reap the benefits.”

Additional specialized training was provided for every teacher and the school’s administrator.

“Our teachers and I received several days of fantastic training for the kindergarten program this spring, at Morrisburg Public school,” Grant said. “Our trainer was from the Upper Canada District School Board, but had himself been trained by the Ministry of Education. We all walked away feeling energized and positive.”

How do teachers approach the challenges of full day learning in kindergarten? 

“The key thing is that each teacher has to know the curriculum for kindergarten inside out and backwards and forwards,” Grant explained. “Children this age learn, not by sitting in place, but by moving, working at special centres. There can be several activities happening in the class room at once. Some whole group instruction will happen, perhaps in the form of an opening song, or a circle, but then the children are off to various, exciting activities.” 

In these situations, thorough knowledge of the curriculum allows the teacher to adapt to whatever activities seem to most engage the small children. Open ended questions such as “What if…?” or “What would happen if…” demand ongoing teacher  flexibility. 

The emphasis is on hands-on skills.

How does assessment work in the kindergarten curriculum? 

“Traditional evaluation me-thods, which require reading and writing skills, are just not possible in kindergarten,” Grant laughed. 

Instead, the Ministry has provided teachers with individual Ipads. 

Teachers video tape the children’s daily activities, then show the tapes later to allow them to reflect on what they were doing and learning.

“This kind of assessment is visible and learning apparent,” Grant explained. “We are documenting, and assessing the progress of the children’s problem solving skills, and how they are understanding new knowledge. This helps us to know where to go next to build on those growing strengths. The taping also allows us to share with parents.” 

The three new classrooms (four old rooms were combined) are self-contained. Each has its own washroom, and cubby areas. There are areas set up for naps for children who need them. Walls in the classrooms currently look a little bare, but that is deliberate. 

“The intent is that everything on the walls must be child activity centred,” Grant said. “Teachers will take photos of the children, and these will decorate the walls. Children will be able to look at  these displays and make connections with learning activities and their part in the creation of every picture.”

Are there likely to be some tears on Tuesday morning, the first day of school?

“We’re ready for some tears,” Kelty Grant laughed, “maybe even from our parents. The kids will recover fast. They may even find the routine of every day school easier to cope with than the every other day approach of the past. The children are certainly going to find school a very exciting place to be.”

[…]

This past Christmas holiday season may well have been the last time that the South Dundas municipal office will be open between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

South Dundas council passed a resolution at the January 15 council meeting to close the office from noon on Christmas eve day, 2013 and re-open January 2, 2014 with regular hours.

The extra 2.5 days that the office is closed, staff will be off without pay unless they choose to use vacation time or banked hours.

Over the past couple of years, council has been adamant that the office be open for some time between the two holidays to allow ratepayers the opportunity to have access to staff to do things like pay taxes or get information. South Dundas has always ensured that the office stay open, albeit with a skeleton staff.

“We have to have some line of communication with the public. We have to be user friendly,” said South Dundas deputy mayor Jim Locke.

“I would prefer we remain open,” said South Dundas councillor Evonne Delegarde.

“I realize that people have ample opportunities for information,  and such, but people still like to be able to come in and see a face. I would like them to have the opportunity to come in,” said South Dundas councillor Archie Mellan.

“I was always of the opinion that we should have someone here (between Christmas and New Year’s), but we have to make sure it’s worthwhile,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, who this past holiday made a point to spend a little time at the office.

“I was here, I saw the abuse that our staff member had to take, here on her own. It was incomprehensible,” said the Mayor, who suggested that they try closing the office for one year to see how it works out.

The majority of council agreed.

In 2012, between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays 33 people visited the municipal office in Williamsburg in person: 20 people were paying taxes, one was getting a building permit, two were getting burn permits and the remainder were dropping off invoices or needed information that could have been accessed on the township website, phone system, newsletter or in the local paper.

The staffer on duty handled 103 phone calls: 41 for road conditions and the remainder for information that again could have been accessed through other sources, such as the webite or newspaper.

South Glengarry is the only other municipality in SD&G that is open between the two holidays.

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