Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 Nipigon-Red Rock Gazette Page 7 Workshop on Gender Learning How Do We Make it Work Forget everything you think you know about gender differences in children. Forget “boys are competitive, girls are collaborative.†In recent years, scientists have discovered that differences between girls and boys are more profound that anybody guessed. For example: The brain develops differently. In girls, the language areas of the brain develop before the areas used for spatial relations and for geometry. In boys, it’s the other way around. A curriculum, which ignores those differences, will produce boys who can’t write and girls who think they’re “dumb at math.†The brain is wired differently. In girls, emotion is processed in the same area of the brain that processes language. So, it’s easy for most girls to talk about their emotions. In boys, the brain regions involved in talking are separate from the regions involved in feeling. The hardest question for many boys to answer is: “Tell me how you feel.†Parents, teachers and community members of St. Edward Catholic School were very fortunate to have guest speaker and workshop facilitator, Mrs. Kathy Notwell, Early Literacy Specialist from Brass Bell Ontario Early Years Centre, present a workshop on gender and learning on Monday, February 11th. St. Hilary School Council hosted the workshop at St. Hilary School on Monday, February 4th. During her presentation, Mrs. Notwell presented facts, details and research to support the fact that boys and girls do indeed learn differently and that these differences are associated to dissimilarities in development and structure (ie: brains develop from right to left - quicker in females because of a larger corpus callosum), chemical and hormonal differences as well as emotional processing. Mrs. Notwell also presented various theories on why their brains are different. For all who attended, the time spent sharing thoughts and ideas as well as having an opportunity to ask questions provided an excellent opportunity for practical and valuable discussion about the way gender differences between girls and boys affect how they learn, about particular learning styles and strategies that can impact on boys and girls in different ways, and lastly, provided the opportunity to share concrete ideas and suggestions on what can be done at home as parents as well as teachers in the classroom to consciously manage these environments to better suit the needs of both boys and girls. Thanks to Mrs. Notwell, those in attendance left the workshop with a better understanding and a variety of strategies to help their children, grandchildren or students learn better. Throughout her presentation, Mrs. Continued on Page 8 Boys and Girls learn presentation at St. Hilary School, Red Rock. Photo submitted NOTIFICATION CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT POLE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM EPCOR Nipigon Junction to Longlac Transmission Station 115 kV Wood Pole Transmission Line Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) is proposing to replace approximately 88 wood pole structures along its transmission corridor between EPCOR Nipigon Junction (Jet) north of Nipigon and Longlac Transmission Station (TS) near Longlac. The pole replacement program is part of our ongoing maintenance activities for our transmission lines and is required to maintain the integrity of high voltage circuits, and to ensure a safe and reliable supply of electricity to area customers. The poles that will be replaced have been identified through Hydro One's pole testing program. Construction is scheduled to begin March 31, 2008 and to be completed by the end of the year. In accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment for Minor Transmission Facilities, Hydro One is providing notification of its intent to proceed with this project. Comments or concerns related to this project may be made within 30 days from the date of this notice. If no concerns are raised during this time, Hydro One will submit an Environmental Study Report to the Ministry of the Environment to proceed with construction of the pole replacement. For further information or to provide comments on this project please contact: Stuart Ball, Environmental Planner Environmental Services and Approvals Hydro One Networks 483 Bay St., North Tower, 13th Floor Toronto, Ontario M5G 2P5 Phone: 416-258-6935 Email: Stuart.Ball@HydroOne.com This notice is dated February 19, 2008 hydro one Bringing Power to the People of Ontario™ Be Rabies Wise! Rabies is a preventable disease. It is transmitted through a bite or scratch of an animal. WITHOUT MEDICAL TREATMENT IT CAN BE FATAL. Avoid wild animals, such as foxes, raccoons, skunks, bats. If you are bitten by a wild animal, you should immediately wash the wound with clean water and soap, apply an antiseptic, contact your doctor and REPORT THE INCIDENT to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. For further information, contact the TBDHU at .6630 orvisitwww.tbdhu.com