Page 20, Wihitby Fm'e Pros, Wednesday, M"rc 27, 1996 'Significant' cosi increase if Cathollo JK kept By Mark Reesor The Durham separate sehool board will pay significantly higher costs if it keeps the- junior kindergarden (JK) program, says business superintendent Cleary Smith. Trustees won't decide the pro- ¶rp an.fture until after the final 996 general legisiative gnt figures are released -- Clear says there'. "some indication" they'1l be made available March 29. A "tentatve cost analysis» of the JK -program shown to trus- tees last week suggests it would cost $341,000 more to offer JK for the 1996-97 sehool year because of cutingvrm t fund t n oermn The Loard would also have to buy portables and build sehools or additions toa acommodate growth, Cleary says, «and those costs are going ta be si*g'ificant.» They would have ta be entirely covered by Durham separate board supporters, he adds, since a one-year moratorium has been placed on provincial capital pro- ject grant. Cutting JK won't save money, thougli, he notes. "Because they changed the rules of the game, it's going ta cost you money ta keep it an dit s going tacost you money ta, cut it,» ihe told trustees. "But ta keep it, it's going ta, cost you a lot more.» Although the board would save about $2.9 million by cutting.the program, he explaîns, it would lose an estimated $3.07 million inprovincial grants resulting in ashortallof abut16000. Despite the adjitional expense, trustee Todd McCarthy stronçly supports continuing the board s 22-year tradition of offer- fe' aced with a situation where there's a cost.either way and there's simply a matter of a larger investment ta, maintain junior kindergarden," he says. aIt's important for the educa- tion of our children ta, begin early... and it certainlyma our system as one wt a dif- ference. » I LEITeRS I I SINCLAIR SECONDARY SCHOOL ' Welcome back. We hope everyono was able ta catch up on their sleep and not have ta worry about school and homework for a while. Hopefully now you can make it through until summer vacation. A great big round of applause goes toalal who were involved ini the production of Happily Ever Afier. They placed fLmt in the Sears drama festival and will goý on to, compete in the regionals. Special notice to Holly Van Rossum who won an award for beet actress. Now that we are ail back into the swing of things, SAC Easter chocolats sales began on Monday and wiil continue this week and next. If you want ta wmish that special someoe a happy Easter, bring in your money ta purchase one of these deliciou.s treats. Tomorrow i. SAC pizza sales in the student comnion, 80 you can either bring your loonies and satisfy yoùr hunger, or walk by. and say to yourself, "Gosh darnit, my lunch i. botter!" (and hope that it is). Anothor odition of the school newsletter i. due out on Friday to inform you and your parent. about ail the curre nt evonts and issues at Sinclair. Congrat. to our Celtic sI team as thoy placed ini the top 10 schools at OFSAA. Until noxt time. Student 'c uts'y teacher Jenna Engelage,. a Grade 5 student at Immanuel Christian ~'School, cut off the ponytail of lier band cirector, Dennis Ulîman, last Thursday. She was the higliest fundraiser for the recent band tour ta, Ottawa. Since the students were able ta, meet their fundraising target, Uliman promi.ed ta, allow a student ta cut off his ponytail, something that lias long been bis trademark. "Tell your parent. about the ponytail,".quipped Ulîman before the sales campaign, "since it will likely increase your sales." The 31-member Senior Concert Band cf Grade 5, 6, 7 and 8 students returned from a six- concert, three-day tour to Ottawa. The student. brouglit home a silver medal for their performance in the Musicfest Canada competition. Sylansolves math problems. As tte leader Ii i>In inl<<tIlI) foi.<)Vt'I 16 yeais, Sylva' iio:1u aipprn»wh to mfath pJlo(ueiC staLl)I rtstis. W/t'stmil l)y uncoveliîig your eliild's skill gaps. TMien, grinuîîIhait is flie key to yotir cliildIs s.(*<*vý%s.(nales go> ip*I» molîvatioiî ~ilhproves. mVaih I i o longer a iluoî.c, cali sylv anii t oda.y. - 1801 Dundas St. E., WhitbyE- Kendalwood Park Plaza _____404-1818 SYLIVAN LEARNING CENTRE~ Bette,- grades are just the beginniing:' Collier HENRY ST. March break lias corne to an end and with classes underway. once again, Hawk life is returning ta the normal routine. The senior boys' basebaîl team continues fundraising activitios with a raffle for a pair of gold seat. to a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game. Tickets are $2 each and the draw will take place on Mardi 29. Let's support our team on the road to Boca Raton. The Englis h department's Sept. 7 field trip is a visit to the Shaw Festival to attend a performance of Plybd f h estern World, written by John Milington Synge. Cost i. $30 per person, of which a $20 deposit i. required immediately. See anyonè in tlie Englisli department as soon as possible. The cast and crew of Henry Street's production of The Boyfiend continue practice and behind the scenes work as Performance dates.near. Ticket. will be on sale sliortly at $10 oaci, and performances will mun from April 25 ta 28. Don't miss it. Garnier hosts hockey tournament The l9th annual fr-anco-ontarien hockey taurnament will be hosted this year by Ecole secondaire catholique Saint-Charles-Garnier Mardi 27-30. Thirty-five higli schools from al over Ontario will attend the event, meeting at Heydenshore Pavilion i Whitby. Games wiil be played at Brooklin and. Iroquois Park arenas. Continu ous Iearning show at college Durham Cellege will present a continuous learning exhibition on Wednesday, April 3, 5. te 9 p.M. There wlll b. dlsplays and demenstrations of country llnedanclng, ta! chi, yoga, police learning centre, massage techniques, crafts, law and securlty, business, arta health, language., Computeras, correspondence courses, early childhood education and technology. To the editor. Education and Training Minister John Snobelen's cuts at first glance soem to be in stark contrast with recent rumours. Parents aren't fooled.*Taxpayers aren't fooled. Education workers and students aren't foolod. The value 0f oducation cannot be moasurod by comparisons to othor provinces, to dollars spent per studont, or by the size of the doficit. Ontarians know the value of a dollar. We lcnow that our chldrens future is worth fighting for. Somo questions ta pose to John Snobelen: --What spocial oducationd and other services do we provide for our studonts comparod to other provinces? How employable are our graduates?, -What sucss will our Grade 12 students have competing against the many newly unemployed, well educated workers who are looking for work in a province whore occupational layoffs outnumbor job croation? -la my chuld safer and' more gainfully occupied loarning in school and preparing for. post- secondary edlucation or out contonding for an ever diminishing number ofjobs after Grade 12? -I. it an advantage te a community te have students learning in classes or ta save edu- dollars and increase the youth To thi.editor 'l'eche-baaingeeme to be the lateat trnd ln the media, llkely due ta the Ontario government's slash-and-burn and "let-the-chipe- fail-where-they-may" attitude tewards educatien. Mr. Harris, Mr. Snobelen and company are using the transparent nee-conservatjve "plitics cf oeis" in order to justifr massive spending céuts -i educatien and other socal ervie«. The continuing barrage cf teacher-bashing in the media leade me ta ask a few simple questions: -I what othejobs de employees work closely wfth 90 clients a day, trylng to ensure that they ail learix and gechieve success? -Iwhat otherjobs do employees regularly werk overtime (without pay) furthe benefit cf theïr clients? -If teaching ia uuch an easy job, why doesn't everycne want to beceme a teacher?, Teaching lna-a very demanding unomployment statistica by dismantling the Grade 13 progrm acres. the province? -What- value i. placod on Ontario's educators as potential employees In other provinces and countries?. Financial corporations, advertise the succese of employees who produce. Likewiso, Ontario's educators make a difféence. --Every dollar spent on early chuldhood education is proven ta save $7 ta the coznmunity as the child matures. Can we afford ta increase the deficit (at a cost of $6 per adult) whon boards ý of education have tho room,' equipmont, trained personnel. and curriculum 'read y ta e'nsure effective early childhood oducation in Ontario? -Since research does nct support the contention that hofty -tax rebates ta the ricli and minimal rebatesta the poor result in job creation or increasod purchasing power, why i. this government dismantling an effective education system at the expense of Ontarlo'. children? -Will Ontario's chuîdron have more and botter opportunities ta learn and be prepared for the future in classes of 20-30 students or in classes of 30-40 students? Don't be fooled. Cuts hurt kids. These cuts -ta education Will hurt Ontario. Maret Sadeni-Thompson Harmony Helghts Public School Oshawa profession. Over and abeve Our daily classoom work,. teachers regularly deal with emotionally traumatized. youth, students chailenged lnx a variety cf ways, an increasingly violent society, and all cf the consequences cf familles brealng Up. Don't get me wrong - rn net complaiming. I love my job, and I simply could net do it if I didn't. But what the Conservatives tire dolng wfll lead ta a serlous decline in the quality cf education in Ontario, and in the services we now previde to students boti in and outalde of the classroom. Our- wSo.eled "perks allow us*to do the best job that we can with the resources available te us. Our preparation.time la essential fer quallty education in this province. I sincerely hope that Mr. Snobelen realizes what bis drastic changes will do to education in Ontario, but rmn afraid that lie doesn't. Michael Strabi Not fooled Decline in quality -PAR.&P',OF fii-K do