THE Undergroundpress
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THE Underground PRESS Volume 4, Issue 5 SNOW LAKE, MANITOBA May, 1999 CHALLENGE PUT TO TRUSTEES DISTRICT MAKES DIFFICULT CUTS TO BALANCE BUDGET STAFF Curriculum Coordinator, technology outcomes on report cards, Clarence Fisher has and allowing teachers in-house release STAFF In an undated press release, the School District of challenged the local school board to time, need to be priorities if we want Snow Lake, last week, announced approval of grasp technology and run with it into the schools’ students to be competitive their 99/00 preliminary budget. The budget represents an the new millenium. in a changing economy.); 3.) Implement increase of $5871 over last year’s preliminary budget, but a During his bi-monthly reporting new reporting procedures. (He states $114,000 reduction from their revised fall of ‘98 budget. session, at their April 16th board standardized report cards that are In the spring of each year the board approves a budget meeting, Fisher noted the strong gains designed to reflect integrated units, based on estimated student enrollment and staffing the district has made towards technology, and outcomes based requirements; then in the fall when figures are known, it is implementing a vision of what the J.H. curricula are desperately needed. As revised if necessary. This year’s estimated enrollment is Kerr School is to become, as well as the well, he feels the school division should 268.5, while last year’s was 284.5. purpose they wish it to serve in the investigate ways to report to the District Sec/Treas., Arnold Assoignon, explained the community. “The school that we are community as a whole. He suggests that circumstances that caused the ‘98 budget to balloon to what attempting to become is a place where annual reports that contain standardized it was. “This happened through the re-budgeting process in kids will learn the skills, abilities and testing results, school goals, and September, and (included) various things as they came up habits they will require in an successes should be seriously through the year.” Assoignon says that the further information-based, technological investigated.); 4.) Open lines of expenditure of $101,000 was due to increased staff levels. society. This means updated course communication. ( Fisher recommends “There is probably an assumption of what staff levels are offerings, better communication with the board establish a non-union going to be, but as time goes on they hired more and parents and the public, reorganization committee of teachers, maintenance increased staff levels,” said Assoignon. of learning time, higher level thinking staff, educational assistants, Almost all areas of the preliminary budget have seen an skills and focusing on academics,” said administration, and board members increase, other than the exceptional (down $88,075), the educator. which will meet regularly to discuss instructional and pupil support services (down $16,820), and That point made, Fisher explained upcoming events, concerns, needs, operations and maintenance (down $14,245) functions of the that during the course of this past year etc.); 5.) Grant teachers in-house document. Most of these cuts are reflected in staff position he had noted himself, or had others sabbaticals and P.D. time. (“We have a and hour reductions. point out to him, areas of concern that great amount of expertise in our school USWA #8262 President, Sharon Stubbs, says over two need to be addressed in order to bring which is just beginning to be capitalized thirds of their 13 members are affected by the cuts. “They the district vision to fruition. “These upon. Teachers do not always require (SEE BUDGET on page 6) recommendations for the 99/00 school out-of-town inservicing. They should year are based upon the idea that we are be able to submit a proposal for moving in a specific direction, and learning a new skill, teaching technique, MOVIES RETURN continuing in that direction is a main conducting research, etc. and they priority for the school board,” said should be granted time to do so. Sub TO HALL’S BIG SCREEN Fisher. costs can be covered and the teacher Do you remember the smell of fresh popcorn His recommendations for should be expected to submit a report, STAFF wafting through the Community Hall? Remember implementation in the fall term are: 1) put on a demonstration, etc., to show how the only guy in the theater wearing a hat used to sit right Make academics, and the academic their time was well spent,” said in front of you? How about how nice it was to see a first run success of all students, a priority. Fisher.); 6.) Cancel school bells at movie, on the big screen, right here in Snow Lake? Or those (Fisher feels a student’s success, after 9:40, 11:05, 1:00, 1:40, and 3:05. old wooden chairs that would tear your pantyhose and leave they leave our system, depends a great (Fisher explained that with self- slivers in your bum? deal upon the success they had while in contained classrooms and 80 minute Well the chairs have changed, and that head in front of you it. In light of this, he says, funding, periods, bells are nothing but a has changed also (only the hat is still there). But the smell of staffing and class sizes should be distraction. “They reflect the model of popcorn and the first run movies are back, and with them a evaluated in relation to how it will help school as a factory, and they interrupt multitude of people who enjoy a night out watching a flick. students to become academically extended times for learning.”); 7.) “We had over 100 people out for the first movie we successful.); 2.) Make acquiring Assign new teachers on staff mentors showed,” says Recreation Director, Leanne Mihalicz. She technology for the school, and teaching who will help clarify routines, adds that attendance was slightly lower for the second show, information skills to the students a standards, rules, etc. (Fisher relates that but she expects it to pick-up each time a movie is shown. priority. (Fisher says this is one of the new teachers on staff are often left Mihalicz pursued powering up Snow Lake’s theater after cornerstones of Challenge 2000. He trying to find things out on their own. talking with a peer in Leaf Rapids, where they recently feels increasing the numbers of Not only photocopy codes, booking reopened their theater. While in conversation with her computers, upgrading computers, TV’s etc., but also information on cohort, she found out that Leaf wasn’t relying on the old, big having a permanent technology school rules, policies, routines, and (SEE MOVIES on page 6) coordinator on staff, including (SEE CHALLENGE on page 2) Page 2 THE Underground PRESS May, 1999 E D IT O R IA L We’ve all heard of, or noticed the people in our fair community, who when walking their dog allow it to defecate on the sidewalk, street, or sn’t it amazing how money makes the world go around? How another person’s property. Then there are those who allow their dogs to so many things aren’t politically achievable unless, or until roam. These dogs, of course, defecate on the sidewalk, street or another some company, business, or bank can make money from them? Up person’s property, without being led there by their owners. Hey... dogs until that point such causes get political lip service, but very little ain’t stupid! (Given a choice they won’t crap where they sleep!) Some money thrown at them, unless backs are to the wall and it’s necessary, dog owners, on the other hand... or they gain the ability to generate more cash than what’s put into them. I’m of the opinion that the town needs a ‘Stoop and Scoop’ (your The same day that members of the North American Free Trade dog’s poop) by-law. And, of course, someone to enforce it. Hmmm... Association (NFTA) were in Mexico discussing an ‘open sky’ policy maybe a dogcatcher! Check out dog owners in any city. They all carry for our airline industry, two other stories were also in the news. One of plastic bags in their pockets for exactly this purpose. It isn’t a very these stories lamented the fact that the Larsen B and Willkens Ice glamorous thing to have to do... pick up your dog’s crap; but, then Shelves, on the Antarctic Peninsula, lost nearly 2,848 square kilometers again, neither is stepping in it! of area in the last year. The other revealed that the Amazon rain forest is being destroyed twice as fast as was previously believed (44,000 sq. km. last year). Consider the results of ignoring all three, then try and make sense of the fact that the ‘open skies’ policy with Mexico will likely see the most political will (and of course... money) thrown at it. The (CHALLENGE from page 1) government will pursue it because it’s good for business. The other classroom expectations. Mentor teams should be expected to meet two will get lip service, because even though they will eventually cause regularly and also meet with administration occasionally to discuss wide spread catastrophe, there’s no money to be made on them at this their progress.); 8.) Investigate and offer high school courses that stress point. skills and abilities that are needed in the digital economy. (He says that The first major rumblings about what we now know as the Y2K bug times have changed and so have the needs of our students.