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ary Helen Frawley Mkn()ws firstâ€"hand just how big an impact KidsAbility â€" Centre for Child Development can have on a child‘s life. When she was in Grade 2, she began receiving speech, occupational and physical therapy there for her cereâ€" bral palsy, a condition that can result in limited motor skills and speech problems, among other difficulties. "They made me more outgoing, they made me get up and move as much as I can," Frawley said. KidsAbility holds its 50th reunion "And they made me talk a lot. Once I got going I couldâ€" n‘t stop." s Her connection with the centre didn‘t end then â€" she‘s been working as a receptionist there for the past 33 years. And this Saturday she will take part in KidsAbility‘s Alumni Day open house, to be held at the local children‘s treatment centre from 10 Stephen Swatridge, the chief executive officer of KidsAbility â€" Centre for Child Development, encourages all current and forâ€" mer clients, staff, volunteers, board members and Rotarians to attend its Alumni Day open house on Sept. 15 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at its 500 Hallmark Dr. location in Waterloo. KidSAbility By Jeninirer OrmsTON _ Chronicle Staff a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is an opportuâ€" nity for former clients, staff, volunteers, board members and Rotarians to celebrate the centre‘s milestone 50th anniversary. "It will be nice to see how everybody has thrived through KidsAbility, or the Rotary Centre as 1 knew it," Frawley said. In addition to reminiscâ€" ing, the purpose of this event is to celebrate the organization‘s many years of providing the community with exemplary service, said Stephen Swatridge, the cenâ€" tre‘s chief executive officer. The day will include a kids‘ mini fua fair, organized by the local Rotary clubs, with pony rides, wagon pulls and trampolines. M & M Meat Shops is providing a free barbecue as well with hamburgers and hot dogs. And children‘s performer Erick Traplin will entertain the younger crowd. Inside the centre, at 500 Continued on page 7 IENNIER ORMSTON PHOTO CITY NEWS The Kâ€"W Symphony Orchestra kicks off a big week by playing a free concert in Waterloo Park last Sunday. Despite the overcast skies, more than 1,000 people turned out to hear musical selections from the upcoming season featuring new music director Edwin Outwater. Leading the symphony in a performance of Beethoven was conductor Dan Warren. gO8 VRBANACFNSTE aterloo Region public school Wprincipals and teachers take fewer sick days than their provincial counterparts, but the proâ€" gram used to manage attendance is under review. After completing a review of sick days and calls for supply teachers, board analysts found that teachers and principals in the region called in sick fewer times than other districts in the province. Over a twoâ€"year paid sick leave study, Waterloo Region District School Board analysts found that district employees took an average of eight sick days a year, compared to some districts which saw employees off sick for an average of nearly 11 days a year. * Overall the district ranked 17th out of 40. But while the district is below averâ€" age for number of sick days taken, administrators are shopping for a new attendance program to make it easier to manage sick days and supply teachâ€" ers. The current computer progfam Local teachers take less time off in review of sickâ€"day policies By Lisa RutiEDGE For the Chronicle known as SubFinder, is an automated calling computer software system that allows employees to call in sick and indicate whether a replacement is needed. A central computer system, based at each school, then begins making "intelligent calls" to find supply teachâ€" ers based on a list of eligible replaceâ€" ments. The software has serious limits, according to Brian Driver, the district‘s human resources manager for elemenâ€" tary and occasional teachers, which can lead to some disruption for schools. "We‘re their only Ontario client. They‘re not as helpful to us." Music in the park â€" Brian Driver Human resources manager for elementary and occasional teachers WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, September 12, 2007 + 3 SubFinder is not Internetâ€"friendly and can only be managed by princiâ€" pals at the school. â€" That means if a replacement can‘t be found, principals won‘t find out until they get to school whereas a webâ€" based attendance program would allow administrators to problem solve at home, earlier in the morning. The U.S.â€"based program, which has been in place at the school district for eight years, has also changed ownerâ€" ship more than three times. And that adds up to poor service when problems arise, said Driver. _ "We‘re their only Ontario client," he said. "They‘re not as helpful to us." _ According to John Bryant, superinâ€" tenderft of human resources, the board is investigating another U.S.â€"based program, SIMS, which is Internetâ€" compatible, has fewer limitations and offers local customer service. . Still early in the review process, Driâ€" ver couldn‘t say how much it would cost the program to switch attendance management programs. But he noted that even an increase in costs could translate into savings in terms of effiâ€" ciencies and less disruptions in schools.