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Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staft The Waterloo County Board of Education is considering a plan which would mean a total change in programming at Waterloo‘s Laurel Vocational School. According to Laurel principal Lewis Bradshaw, board staff and school officials have been meeting for more than a year to consider the future of Laurel, which is currently the only school in the county offering basic level courses for students with special needs. They are proposing that next fall generalâ€"level courses as well as programs in horticulture, beauticulture, food services and graphic arts be added to the school‘s curriculum. Also possible is a change in the name of the school. "It‘s really quite an exciting thing...it will mean a total change in focus for Laurel Vocational," said committee chairman Eli Boich, a superintendent with the board. Boich expects the proposal will be brought to the board for consideration before the end of the month. Two factors have led to the Laurel program review. Bradshaw explained that of key imporâ€" tance is the "feeling‘ now held by those in the educational field that it is not in the students‘ best interests to ‘"segregate‘‘ the three program levels, that is advanced, general and basic. "There‘s a feeling from the Ministry of Educaâ€" tion down that too much segregation isn‘t a good thingâ€"that you shouldn‘t segregate if you can possibly avoid it. Laurel hasn‘t been doing that. Changes in offing for Laurel Vocational? RESTAURANT "EVERYBODY‘S EATING FISH" TASTE OUR WEEKLY SPECIALS e 11 Varieties of Fish & Chips {including Halibut) e Clam Chowder e Back Bacon on a Bun LBum:' e Sandwiches . R BREAKFAST served any time of CLOSED SUNDAYS ~ NOW IN OUR TWELFTH YEAR â€" _ * WHfAIREF FAMILY DINING OPEN MON.â€"SAT B A.M.â€"8 P.M. 478â€"A Albert St. N. â€" Next Tohrs Parkdale Plaza â€" 885â€"0580 â€" Waterico We Accept Visa & MasterCard TAKEâ€"OUT GREAT JANUARY SALE ONLY IF YOU WANT THE VERY BEST We‘ve had only basicâ€"level programming for years, although we feel we have offered excellent programming for our students," Bradshaw said. As well, next year the Waterloo board will open the new Jacob Hespeler secondary school in Cambridge, which will become the second school in the region to offer basic level and general level programs. Bradshaw said this will result in an enrolment drop at Laurel of an estimated 150 students. This year Laurel Vocational has 533 students who come to the school from all parts of the county. Bradshaw added that in developing the new programs the objective was to come up with offerings unique to Laurel. As now proposed, no specific catchment area will be drawn up for the school. ‘"We don‘t want to be in competition with other schoolsâ€"â€"we wanted to offer something different. If there are students in Waterloo County with interests in these four areas, then they can come to Laurel," he said. "I hope it catches onâ€"â€"I think the change will be good for us. It‘s good for the kids in basic level, that they can stretch up and take a general level course if they want to. It‘s good for those in general programs. Sometimes they‘re not strong in one subject area and if that‘s the case they‘ll be able to take it at the basic level. It works well for both." "That will give us the room to begin another level of programs, and now is the time to try to do that. We have the resources to do a good job," he said. W.H. FINE FURNITURE investigating ban on smoking WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1986 â€" PAGE 13 Separate board Chronicle Staff _ Waterloo v(f(;unty‘s separate school board could follow in the footsteps of its public counterpart by establishing a special committee to look into a ban on smoking in all its faâ€" cilities. That‘s the recommendation George Flynn, director of education for the Waterloo County Separate School board, took to the board‘s advisory committee, which met Tuesday afternoon. o -1;1 a written report Flynn explained that it is only by establishing a special committee that the school board can deal with the _ implications of a noâ€"smoking ban. o "This is a complex matter involving issues such as rights of smokers and nonâ€"smokers, the enforceability of policies developed in this regard, the health and safety of learning environments for children, the effects of providing appropriate adult models for children in schools which may influence their lifestyle choices and many others," he wrote. In December the public board unanimously decided to establish a special task force to study prohibiting smoking by staff, teachers and students in all board properties.... _ The 17,000â€"member Ontario Medical Association has written to every school board in the province urging that they adopt the noâ€"smoking rule. | â€" Currently, the separate board does not a have policy governing smoking by students in schools, however common practise is that smoking is prohibited in all schools but Cambridges Monsignor Dayle Catholic high school where written consent from parents is required. _ _ o â€"It is -éxfii;a'tfiii both smoking committees will report to their boards this May.