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SGA Candidates Talk About Issues Prior To Elections

   The SGA General Elections which were held on March 17 and 18, 2010 may turn out to be one of the most important in the 50 year history of the University. On Monday, March 15, 2010, the six candidates who had put their names forward for various open positions appeared on THE LEARNING CLINIC to explain their platforms and introduce themselves to the listeners attending Laurentian University. In the photo above, from left to right, we have Efe Gercek  (International Students' Commissioner); Collee Keaney (VP Services); Sam Pitzel (President); Zachary Courtemanche (LU Senate); and Casey Lalonde (VP Issues). Missing from the photograph was Jackie Miller (VP Services) who had to attend class.
 
   Jason Kontak, the current President, also explained details of the two referendum questions which were to be placed on the ballot. Once dealt with a new Dental Plan for students while the other involved a fee for Varsity Athletics to help out with travel expenses.
 
   The Students’ General Association is to represent the students in a wide variety of ways. The positions of President, Vice President of Services, and Vice President of Student Issues are all paid positions with the President expected to spend up to 40 hours per week in the office, while the Vice-Presidents are expected to work for up to 20 hours per week.
 
   If you are interested in downloading the radio program to your computer, just click here to get to the archives. 
 
   Make sure that you have the date set at 2010-03-15; the start time set at 17:00; and the duration for 130 minutes.  Then all you do is click on "download" and it will be saved to your computer in an mp3 format. Then you can enjoy the interview whenever you wish. You may hear some lead-in music just prior to the beginning of the interview, but at least you will be able to listen to the full interview.
NOTE: The archives will only be available for 30 days following the airing of the show.

Members of Cast of West Side Story Share Their Experiences With Theatre Cambrian And Dreams For The Future

   Dawn Lamb-Bowden, Stage Manager for West Side Story with Theatre Cambrian accompanied four young members of the cast for a lively discussion about performing arts on The Learning Clinic which was aired on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 5 p.m. The guests in the photo above included, from the left to the right, Melissa Bowden, Emily Riopel, Dawn Lamb-Bowden, Jackson Picard, and Heather Bowden. Jackson (Grade 9) and Heather (Grade 10) both attend Sudbury Secondary School. Emily, a resident of Valley East, is in Grade 10 at É.s. du Sacré-Coeur. Melissa is in Grade 8 at Carl A. Nesbitt. The young performers discussed how they each became interested in acting. They also shared some of their feelings about overcoming their shyness and becoming comfortable with performing live in front of audiences. In addition, we talked to the students about their future aspirations with respect to pursuing a career in theatre or as a performing artist. All-in-all, it was a very informative exchange of information which should prove very useful for anyone thinking of joining a community theatre group that operates in the City of Greater Sudbury.
   If you are interested in downloading the radio program to your computer, just click here to get to the archives. 
   Make sure that you have the date set at 2010-03-22; the start time set at 17:00; and the duration for 120 minutes.  Then all you do is click on "download" and it will be saved to your computer in an mp3 format. Then you can enjoy the interview whenever you wish. You may hear some lead-in music just prior to the beginning of the interview, but at least you will be able to listen to the full interview.
NOTE: The archives will only be available for 30 days following the airing of the show.

 Young Students From E.S.C. l'Horizon Complete Project To Denounce Violence Against Women & Children

 Christine Rivest (Gr. 11);
Gabrielle Veilleux (Gr. 11)

Mme Cecile Lariviere-Leduc
(Teacher)

Christine Rivest and Gabrielle Veilleux are two of a group of Grade 11 students who completed a special project for their Religious Studies program this year. The project was designed to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre of 14 students in 1989. Part of their project included putting up a display at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on December 6, 2009, the day of the Montreal Massacre, and another part of the project was taking part in an interview on THE LEARNING CLINIC on Monday, March 8, 2010, International Women's Day. They were the 5 p.m. guests along with their teacher, Mme Cecile Lriviere-Leduc, the Pastoral Leader of the school and a teacher of Religious Studies and Business. Host Robert Kirwan discussed a wide variety of issues including the state of violence among young people today. It was pointed out that abuse comes in all kinds of shapes and forms, with each young person feeling their own particular kind of pain when those around them are insensitive to their feelings. The girls felt that they did make a difference with their project and hope that both students and adults who heard their presentation will change any behaviour which may intentionally or unintentionally hurt someone else. Gabrielle and Christine plan on continuing the group project again next year while in Grade 12.

If you are interested in downloading the radio show to your computer, just click here to get to the archives. 
Make sure that you have the date set at 2010-03-08; the start time set at 17:00; and the duration for 80 minutes. Then all you do is click on "download" and it will be saved to your computer in an mp3 format. Then you can enjoy the interview whenever you wish. 
NOTE: The archives will only be available for 30 days following the airing of the show.

 Young People Encouraged To Get Involved in Political Party or Service Organizations To Make A Contribution To The Community

 Dustin Hare

Mark Mancini

Dustin Hare and Mark Mancini, are both General Board Members with the Federal Conservative Party of Canada Sudbury Electoral District Association. Dustin, 21, is a working full time as a Carpenter's Apprentice in Sudbury, while Mark, 17, is a Grade 12 student at Lockerby Composite Secondary School and is the President of the Lockerby Student Council. Dustin is also a member of the Sudbury Provincial Progressive Conservative Association. The two were special guests of THE LEARNING CLINIC on Monday, March 1, 2010 and spent close to three hours in a discussion with host, Robert Kirwan about a wide variety of topics that were of interest to young and old alike about the benefits of becoming involved in community building. They have decided to direct their energies in the "political arena", but they also encouraged young people to become engaged with any type of community service organization where they can truly make a difference. We also talked about the importance of setting education and career goals that are in keeping with your passions and abilities. It is important to find your purpose in life and to fulfill your destiny accordingly.

If you are interested in downloading the radio show to your computer, just click here to get to the archives. 
Make sure that you have the date set at 2010-03-01; the start time set at 17:00; and the duration for 200 minutes. Then all you do is click on "download" and it will be saved to your computer in an mp3 format. Then you can enjoy the interview whenever you wish. 
NOTE: The archives will only be available for 30 days following the airing of the show.

   For Scott Kirkness, born and raised in Valley East, it has been a very satisfying year as he organized special events and activities that added so much to the university experience for the the general membership. Scott is completing his degree in History and English and will be applying for Teachers' College in the fall. He is hoping that his experience on the SGA will be recognized by the admissions committee when he applies for a position at the College. This is one of the reasons why Scott decided to participate in the Student General Association.

Anyone who is interested in running for one of the positions is asked to visit the SGA/AGE office to pick up an election form. You have until March 5 to submit your nomination. Nelson will be meeting with the declared candidates once nominations close to explain the process and lay out the ground rules for campaigning. 

   All of the candidates are invited to appear on a special edition of THE LEARNING CLINIC which will be held on Monday, March 15, 2010 at 5 p.m. Each candidate will be given up to 15 minutes to discuss his/her positions on important issues of the day and to explain why they are running for office.

   Elections will take place on Wednesday, March 17th, from 9 am - 7 pm , and Thursday, March 18th, from 9 am - 7 pm . With all current Board members leaving their positions at the end of this year, the entire Board will consist of newcomers. It is critical that the 4600 members of the SGA pay particular attention to the candidates who will represent their interests during the 2010-2011 school year.

   During the radio show, Jason and Scott made it clear that the purpose of Students’ General Association is to represent the students in a wide variety of ways. The positions of Present, Vice President of Services, and Vice President of Student Issues (presently held by Vanessa Butler) are all paid positions with the President expected to spend up to 40 hours per week in the office, while the Vice-Presidents are expected to work for up to 20 hours per week.
  
   The SGA is funded by the student body and is responsible for a number of functions and activities on campus, including Lambda and CKLU. The SGA is the “collective voce” representing students on a number of important committees, including the Laurentian senate. According to the web site, “It exists to promote the welfare and desires of its members. This is accomplished by giving input into academic planning, procedures and policy at Laurentian.  Outside the University, the SGA provides political representation for students to the municipal, provincial and federal governments as well as the provincial and national student movements.  On top of this, we offer the SGA Health Plan, the Student Handbook, and events throughout the year. “

   For more information visit the web site at www.sga-age.ca and make sure you listen to the live show on Monday, March 15, 2010 beginning at 5 p.m. when the candidates will appear on CKLU 96.7 FM to discuss their platforms.

 Members of Confederation's Evolutionary Band Give Evidence Of How Music Program Prepares One For Life's Challenges

Veronica Ranger (Grade 12) 

Kayla O'Hearon (Grade 12)
Jasmine Wagg (Grade 11)

Three members of Confederation Secondary School's Evolutionary Band were the special guests on THE LEARNING CLINIC on Monday, February 15, 2010 during the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. time slot. Veronica Ranger, currently attending the "Victory Lap" in Grade 12 (for those of you who may not be familiar with that term, she has already graduated but has chosen to return for a 5th year to add some courses to her transcript) is one of the Lead Singers with the band and also does background vocals for some of the songs. She has been a band member for all five years and is also able to play the trumpet, sax and trombone. Kayla O'Hearon, also in Grade 12, has been with the band for all four years of high school and is in her 3rd year playing the guitar. She spent her first year with the stage crew. Jasmine Wagg, a Grade 11 student, is in her 3rd year with the band. She started out with the stage crew and has now been a bass player with the band for the past two years. During the show the girls discussed many of the transferable skills that they have developed as members of the band. They rehearse four nights a week for two hours after school in preparation for a performance tour which begins some time in March. The tour includes an out-of-town trip where they put on several performances for a variety of audiences. 

The girls also explained that the entire band will be out looking for pledges for their annual "Play-a-thon" which will be held at the school in the "sanctuary" on Saturday, February 20, 2010. The band needs to raise about $140 per member in order to cover the expenses of performing on tour this season. Therefore, if you are approached by any member of the band, please give them your support. This is a music program that is doing wonders for the overall development of each and every member of Evolutionary.

If you are interested in finding out how to download the radio show, click here for the instructions >>>>

FACTS ABOUT EVOLUTIONARY BAND

The following information has been provided by Mr. Norm McIntosh, Director of Evolutionary Band and a Music teacher at Confederation Secondary School.

In its 30^th year of existence, Evolutionary is located at Confederation Secondary School.

Evolutionary is a 24 piece rock band which includes 4 vocalists, a 7 piece rhythm section, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 alto saxes and 4 tenor saxes and is supported by a 16 member stage crew.

Evolutionary is the musical ambassador for Action Sudbury. They are Northern Ontario ’s official No Drinking and Driving Band. At every performance they distribute Contracts for Life (approx. 6000 per year). Evolutionary participate in community events including the Rainbow School Board’s ‘Reading Rocks’ program. 

Band members range in age from 13 to 19 years old and must complete an audition and interview annually in order to be earn a place in the band. Successful applicants sign a year-long contract. Students in Evolutionary receive a high school music credit for their participation. All students who participate in this program are expected to carry a full timetable and to maintain passing grades in their other subjects. 

Evolutionary is completely self-supporting. All expenses for transportation, and the purchase and repair of musical instruments and equipment are covered by student fund-raising and sponsorship. The band rehearses 4 nights a week from September to March.

Evolutionary tours from March until June, performing in front of over 8,000 students per year. Venues include other schools, public events and opening for professional acts. Performances include a high energy, choreographed show with an exciting light display including lasers, strobes, smoke machines, intelligent lighting and orbitrons. Shows are approximately 75 minutes in length and include 16 songs including a selection of top 40 hits such as Shinedown, Hinder, Green Day, 3 Days Grace,  Rolling Stones, Queen, Bryan Adams, AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Nickleback, Kings of Leon.

Today, we have approximately 200,000 students enrolled in community colleges in Ontario. So far, over 100,000 people have applied to college programs in the fall. This represents a 14% increase in applications to full-time programs and there just isn't enough space for all of the applicants based on the current funding that is available.

The huge increase in applications has nothing to do with the number of students graduating from secondary schools. In fact, the large increase is a result of a huge increase in applications from adult learners who have lost their jobs or have decided to retrain for a better career.

With over 70% of new jobs requiring higher education, more and more people who opted to go straight into the workforce following graduation from secondary school are now deciding it is time to get that post-secondary diploma. Universities are not expected to face the same problem since the courses at community colleges are more or less geared to specific jobs or careers. People are not making a decision to return to college to "further their education". They are enrolling in programs that will prepare and qualify them to take on specific jobs after completing the two or three year program.

This is a problem that the government cannot ignore. It must come up with the funds to provide spaces for all who want a higher education. Where it will get the money in these economic times is unclear.

The expected cost of the conference has been announced as $345,000, which on the surface works out to about $28 per teacher. That does not seem like a very high cost for a professional development day where you can bring in several prominent speakers to address the entire teaching body. It could be a great motivational boost to the teachers at the beginning of the school year.

The conference is being scheduled before Labour Day due to the fact that the School Year Calendar for 2010 - 2011 has 196 available days between September 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 of which 194 must be designated by the school board for instruction and professional development. That board is permitted to designate up to six of those days for professional development. 

Since there are three days prior to Labour Day weekend. This means that at least one of the first three days in September must be used as either an instructional day or a professional development day. Assuming that the board does not wish to bring the students in before Labour Day, that means that one of the days must be used as a professional development day in order to get in all of their 194 days in the year.  Hence, the Board has decided to approve using one of those days for the one day conference. It makes sense to use Wednesday, September 1, 2010 as the day for the conference in order to allow for teachers to have a longer Labour Day weekend. Most teachers work on their own time during that week anyway, getting things prepared for the first day of class. Therefore, most teachers will be back in town by September 1, 2010.

This does not only apply to the Toronto District School Board. All school boards will have to deal with this school year calendar issue since they all follow the same rules set by the Ministry of Education.

Unfortunately, when you "do the math", in the case of the Toronto District School Board, the actual cost of the one-day conference is closer to $12 million than the $345,000 that has been suggested.  At that level you have to question whether or not such an event is worth the cost.

School Boards, like any other public service institution, have a limited amount of money to work with. If a private sector company wanted to bring in all of its sales reps for a one day motivational conference like that of which the TDSB is planning, then the management of that company would have determined that the increase in productivity resulting from the experience of bringing in the sales reps would produce more in future revenue in order to justify the expense of the conference.

The Toronto District School Board, and indeed any other school board, has a limited amount of money. It also has a limited number of days in which to deliver its product to the children. Every single cent that is spent should be done so to improve the "product" that is received by the children. There is no question that the 19,000 teachers sould benefit somewhat from listening to guest speakers at a one-day conference at the Air Canada Centre, However, what must be considered is whether or not the expenditure is justified. At $345,000 it might be worth it. But I doubt it is worth $12 million.

For example, all 19,000 teachers will be receiving full pay while they attend the one-day conference. As well, many of the support staff will be doing a lot of work preparing for the day. The salaries for the teachers alone for that day will come to at least $7 million. 

The government of Ontario's share for the pension premium for the one day for the teachers will come to almost $800,000 since the government must match the 11% that is deducted for the Teachers Pension Plan. When all is said and done, it is safe to say that the amount of money spent on salaries, benefits and pension alone will come to over $10 million. 

In addition, since all teachers will be required to travel to the Air Canada Centre to report for work, they will have to be paid a mileage allowance for the distance to and from their home school to the Air Canada Centre. It is safe to say that when you average out the distance that each teacher must travel, and also considering the fact that the Collective Agreement likely provides for payment of this travel allowance to every teacher who must travel to the conference, the average cost per teacher for travel will be at least $30. This will add at least another $500,000 to the cost of the event. Let's hope that the parking is free for the day, however, I doubt that. I also doubt if there would be enough room to accommodate that many extra vehicles in the downtown during the week prior to Labour Day. If the teachers must pay for parking, that may add another $300,000 or more to the cost. 

We won't even talk about the nightmare that will be faced by both the teachers and anyone else traveling downtown that day during the morning and afternoon rush hours. They will be moving 19,000 people ( many in vehicles ) into the downtown in time for a 9 a.m. conference and moving them all back out at around 3 p.m.

The Toronto District School Board must now consider if the one-day conference is really worth the allocation of up to $12 million or more of its annual budget. True enough, they would be required to spend most of that money anyway since the Teachers would still have to be paid,  but the question remains, would the students benefit more from the time spent by their teachers listening to motivational speeches at the Air Canada Centre for one day, or would they benefit more from their teachers using the day to prepare in their classrooms and to meet with other teachers at their home school?

Professional development is good, but is this one-day conference really worth the cost?

On February 1, 2010, new legislation called, the Keeping our Kids Safe at School Act, came into effect which is intended to build on Ontario's safe schools strategy and is a primary recommendation from the Safe Schools Action Team. 

We are all in agreement that in order for our education system to be effective in developing our children it is important to make sure that schools offer a safe environment for both students and teachers. 

The new legislation clarifies how school board employees, including teachers, principals and support staff, must handle incidents that occur at school. It states that all school staff must report to the school principal serious student incidents that could lead to suspension or expulsion. This will ensure parents that the principal will be aware of events that happen in the school that negatively affect the school climate. It also ensures parents that schools will respond appropriately when dealing with these serious matters and that they will be advised when their children have been victims of negative behaviour. Finally, it means that parents will be able to demand appropriate treatment and support for their children if they are victims of negative behaviour in the schools.

Upon first reading, one may get the impression that many principals have not been informed in the past of these serious incidents and that principals are not aware of events that negatively affect school climate. As a 28-year career teacher, I can assure parents that the overwhelming majority of principals have always been informed of such incidents. 

However, it would appear that there are going to be many implications from this legislation that will generate some interesting discussions in the coming months and years. Admittedly, Teachers do not normally sweep serious incidents under the carpet. Nevertheless, there are some frightening trends that are surfacing in our schools today and this legislation may eliminate some of the more serious of these trends.

One of the trends that we are aware of just from reading national newspapers and watching television is that students today are not afraid of bullying teachers and staff. Many teachers are becoming fearful for their own safety and the safety of family members when it comes to dealing with discipline in the schools. Quite frankly, they rightfully fear retaliation. Most secondary schools in southern Ontario now have at least one or two police officers on duty in the school to handle serious incidents. Teachers are not prepared to handle some of the behaviours that are exhibiting themselves in schools today. And many times teachers are choosing to ignore behaviour or look the other way. 

The new legislation places a legal responsibility on teachers and other school staff who work with students. They now MUST respond to all cases of disrespectful and inappropriate student behaviour. This covers a wide range of behaviours, simply defined as activities that could lead to suspension and expulsion. And it does not simply cover teachers who actually witness the incident. Any school board employee who "learns" of a serious incident must tell their principal. You will no longer be able to deal with the matter yourself as a teacher. You MUST inform the principal.

Let's take a look at what the Education Act says about suspension:

A principal shall consider whether to suspend a pupil if he or she believes that the pupil has engaged in any of the following activities while at school, at a school-related activity or in other circumstances where engaging in the activity will have an impact on the school climate:

1. Uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person.

2. Possessing alcohol or illegal drugs.

3. Being under the influence of alcohol.

4. Swearing at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority.

5. Committing an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property at the pupil’s school or to property located on the premises of the pupil’s school.

6. Bullying.

7. Any other activity that is an activity for which a principal may suspend a pupil under a policy of the board. 

In the above outline, a principal "shall consider whether to suspend" a pupil if he/she engages in any of these activities. However, because these behaviours "could lead to a suspension", school board employees are now OBLIGATED to inform the principal when they occur. As a classroom teacher, I would not put my career in jeopardy because of a student. If I do not report this matter to the principal, and if some other board employee subsequently heard about the incident and therefore reported it, I would be guilty of breaking a law and subject to disciplinary action from the Ontario College of Teachers. 

Furthermore, item #7 is a "catch-all" statement that allows individual school boards to stipulate a whole lot of activities for which a principal may consider suspension. This includes being disrespectful, habitual neglect of classwork and homework; etc. School Boards will have to revisit some of the policies that currently exist in light of this new legislation which may have created a nightmare of work for principals. It also means that some form of tracking is going to be needed by school board employees so that they can protect themselves against future charges that they neglected to report an incident. There must be something concrete that a teacher can sign to prove that an incident has been reported. And whenever you put something in writing in education it is like the internet - it never disappears.

The new legislation essentially removes all discretionary judgment from the hands of a teacher. If a student "loses it" in class and swears or utters a threat to another classmate, teachers would often deal with the matter and use it as a "teaching moment". Under the new legislation a teacher's hands are tied. There are too many witnesses to the incident. The teacher MUST report the incident to the principal and the principal must consider suspension. As a teacher I would demand that the report be in writing so that it is tracked since the person who was the victim MUST be given appropriate support, including counselling. You do not want to put yourself in jeopardy in case a parent demanded to know why something was not done about an incident. Once the teacher reports the matter to the principal, it is the principal who must then deal with the case. 

We must not forget that the victim could in fact be the teacher. This will have implications for the Teachers' Unions as well.

We could be on the verge of a huge increase in suspensions for a wide variety of activities. This zero tolerance position is going to make life very difficult for principals and also for students who engage in inappropriate behaviour. It now focuses attention on victims where before the focus was often seen to be in rehabilitating the offender. There will still be an effort to rehabilitate, however, victims' rights are now taking a top priority in the schools. Many teachers will rejoice at the prospect of being able to "teach" in an environment where students who do not want to learn will be "removed" so that those who do want to learn will be able to do so.

I'm sure there will be a lot more written about this topic

Robert Kirwan, O.C.T., B.A. (Math), M.A. (Education)
Independent Education & Career Planning Agent

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