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New man at school board helm Hy TERRY HELD Of The Examiner gap exists between what our system of education should accomplish and what it tends to accomplish says the new direc tor of the Simcoe County Board of Education But he adds ex treme changes in the structure of society and the field of education are serving to nar rowthat gap public school system should determine where the society is going and use this information to design an educational system says Irving Harris As it stands the direction our system of education takes is often dictated from within The immense system seems at times to have life of its own and need to protect itself from change The result he said is that the system becomes too rigid and therefore unrespon sive to the needs of children Its human nature to feel more secure when the situation is predictable where you can anticipate what will happen and presume there are absolute responses to questions Harris said during recent interview From there its small step to believing that there is only one correct response for each challenge and demanding that response from students Under these circumstances the quality of the education be ing offered becomes ques tionable Yet he says the field of education has changed im measurably and for the better since he began as teacher 30 years ago We have learned tremen dous amount about how children learn and why in some cases they dont HAPII CHANGES Historians will look back on the last half of this century and categorize it by the almost unbelievable rate of accelera tion Harris says The changes to come will be even more profound The most marked changes in education has been the realiza tion that often the system fails the child while for years we believed the child always failed Ramsay the system Harris says He supports the movement in that direction but cautions against going too far and forgetting the childs need to be measured against some established standard To allow for individual growth in an en vironment where the intellect of the student is challenged and his efforts are rewarded is du ty the system has to the society it serves Harris says We must assess the needs of the children and make the existing school program more responsive to the problems the child will face Society is changing constantly the role the child plays and his relation administrative ill follow Ramsay savs his successor No major changes in the Sim oe County Board of Educa setup the departure itself its philosophy eptemberlof its director Jack always 100mg at ways 01 lm ship with family is in state of flux That is challenge for the 19805 he says Perhaps it should have been the challenge in past decades when school to those who attended was often place to be endured feared then forgotten There are so many ex amples of people who were failures at school becoming successful later in life and dont mean financially suc cessful Harris savs AWARE 0F INDIVIDUAL But its moving forward In general he says the system is more aware than ever of the in dividual desires and interests of the thousands of children it The changeover is an ap propriate moment for the ad ministration to reexamine were proving ourselves and the effi ciency of the board background the seeks to educate In the past few years teachers have assumed the burden of continuing with their own educations so they can keep up with change they at doing things to improve their ability And there is evidence that teachers are prepared to look outside the system for answers that they are ready to accept new challenges Harris says Their attitude will help bridge the gap between what an educa tion is and what it should become he says The society is changing the world is changing The educa tion system must prepare itself for change and the challenge of change Always seeking ways for improving board override it he can expect to find himself in trouble Harris says HEADS COUNCIL As director Harris heads the administrative council 13 man body comprised of the examiner Thursday August 30 1979 superintendents of various board departments and the countys six geographical areas He started with the board during 1969 after serving as teacher and principal and later as an inspector with the Ontario ministry of education Ramsay announced his inten tions to retire during board meeting in April Harris was chosen in June from number The administrative struc The directors job Harris re has been evolving since the says is to PFOVlde leaderShip oard was created in 1969 andit for both the profCSSionalS as based in the first instance employed by the board and the on sound principles says Irv elected trustees who make the arris formerly the boards decisions uperintendent of educational The trustees need to work services closely with professional staff which supplies an educational Jack has been finetuning perspective on each issue the operation of the board since But the director must the first year and the fine realize the trustees are elected 2522 tuning will continue he told if the leeCIOl lgDOFGS the News ewmutm at The Examiner political component or tries to of applicants Education Examiner Photo For 3000 kindergarten children First school day can be harrowing By RICHARD THOMAS the routines seems to help First day jitters are not near Nursery schools have really Mrs Jarman says it is often nyw hm mmn wit Uttt Of The Examiner lot of them later in ly as prevalent todayhowcver helped 5he sayfi because the mother who is the one who away with lmrs Hi How When elementary SChOOIS in September she says as they were 20 years ago says children have learned to leave is more upset becaust she than httttm but Simcoe County open Sept of ficials with the Simcoe County Board of Education expect ab0ut 3000 kindergartenage children will be making their way to class for the first time While for many fiveyearolds the first day at school is an adventure for some it can be quite frightening Teachers and board officials are aware of this however and have already made plans to create comfortable at mosphere for the newcomers Most of the schools have staggered enrolment says It is fear of the unknown that causes the biggest pro blem The most important thing says Mrs Matton is to make child feel comfortable and mothers can help by preparing it for school Maintain positive attitude towards school she says en courage independence and ac custom the child to the idea of going away and stay calm on the first day lot of parents are quite ap prehensive themselves and the children sense this Mrs Mat Ab Carr su rintendent of Jack Ramsay director of the Simcoe County Board of Education for thef past educational seineices with the fgiiYESPROMPTLI to years leaves his posHlon Friday to take post With managemen con board Most schools encourage sulting firm in Toronto Examiner Photo CALM CHILDREN mothers to leave right away Another program which after bringing children to amsay proud kindergarten teachers say works well in overcoming the first day fears is an orientation school unless the child is very upset in which case they can stay weekheldinMay When the child is com The kids come In small fortable the mother should groups and spend aday perhaps cheerfully say goodbye and let With the PreVous Class thechild knowshewillbeback members who show them Mrs Matton Slipping away around says Frances Manon while the child is occupied can OtAllandaleHElghtSSChOOI cause it to panic when the By LORI OIIEN Of The Exliiiiiiicr Jack Ramsay never looked for sweeping changes during his toyears as Siliicoe County Board of Education director He always sought gradual evolution and constant im provement in the administra tion of the education system and thats what he got His achievements began with the formation of the board iii 1969 amalgamatilig 37 smaller boards that served the countys 100 schools With the board came the addition of kinder gartelis in almost every school elimination of the few oneroom school houses that remained and equalization of teachers salaries across the county decrease in parentschool per sonal contact the inevitable result of 21 trustees where there used to be 250 Now trustee represents larger area and he doesnt know the people as well In preboard days trustees knew their schools intimately It was all volunteer effort today they are all professionals and get paid for everything IHOLI 0F SCHOOLS Ramsay is proud of what Simcoe County schools have to offer in terms of occupational programs allowing student who is not academically inclin ed the chance to expand other skills believe we are doing more says the board and teachers have practiced single team bargaining where there are no sides and everyone can tributes equally for two years trying to eliminate con frontation Because he sees labor relations as traditionally conflictoriented he sees the county as unique in its ap proach There has never been teachers strike under Ram says directorship and only one short Canada Union of Public Employees strike QUICKLY RESOLVED That was resolved fairly rapidly and it was good for both sides he says It taught each side something Getting to know the place and mother is suddenly missed Make safety first lesson at school year Safety is the watchword for Barrie residents next week as more than 8000 students flood the streets on their way to the citys 16 schools some of them Crossing guards will be on du ty at all crossings says Sgt Thompson but when kids get excited there are always one or two whose feet precede their their mothers and socialize with other children Margaret Jarman of King Edlt ward School doesnt want to let go Preparing for Tuesday Ollie OReilly chief custodian of the Cundles Heights School in Barrie brushes off the Beg ins this November Cook training Geo lrving Harris takes over as new director of the Simcoe County Board of classroom carpet as the school prepares for the fall term Tuesday Examiner Photo by Peter Hsu rgian course for more people he says Ramsayhasconfidenceinthe fortheflrst time says thEBar mmds 8NANYttugth at theiJendewatshe The good students are better students of today they are ne Police safety officer Motorists should be liware 0f The Examiner aigryk 33 gsjsffgveogortg tllKLlitliiltifilion tlil1ikivl educated than before and better educated and more After tw0month absence nelteek5nllux 501th kTrainingiS belatest Wf llt qualified Std rum dial students in achievetheir max worldly he savs tromthe routine kids returning roads anduadJUSl mentallyand 90 Successtul 39b to qu hf to Wlh Llllrli illllrl Ramsay 55 We Thet mum uwgteach thém how to live toschool are full of enthusiasm mechanically says Sgt add$°ég°taie9 graduation rhesummertlol liming mun Hr inf made Ner husk Special education was taken and how to makea living They andihell safely habits alealll Thompson $0315 cone Institute an mportlm lemme Onllllllllltnlllli teaghgris mredmrdllamdnm ofthe mnds ofloca mm are better prepared for the the rusty says sergeant Bob childs life is more T9 rg thecourse said Baxter tn MWhit tmtnht anmdeualsqmm committees and broughIPSndcr future and theyll come out Thompson precious than the time anyone 92 flame program The course ISI Wrgted will study iwi rlililliiiy FiiCEDWpofltlligb IId was the boards jurisdiction in smiling Thesituationcallsforacon triestosaye which has room for 26 finjunitéon mt ana rflsttlurant Ililllziiltllllglil itll omlfmo RHIIISEISiim€SImCO€ County When Ramsay leaves his post centrath Effort 0ll the Part Of ATCHUULTS students begins Nov 12 anpoh hte seatg 111 mm wteasiRfmw 59 Elm vasa pioneer in the integrated Friday he will takea few mon everyone especially parents PM 350 Ctclsts gays Rugs Baxter col tga titted 3a and us partcumlyh ié°hfi2°s wit iriiizipaggsnggiiitegonégiigd WKLK CHILDREN winter comesand these should +113 mgram involves the 1m Elam W3 COUd hr Nlnrllmvraiiri n1 limitr rural mayhem grinttb teachers for special education Ltd in Toronto Hes interested One thing we would like to mlndtUl of Signs andnride students in jobs in the in seats esalf co want to make Urt lint it been hglr hhfm gm he notes The newsvstem made in Change in his career and stress about the tittte ones is With care and attention he dust throughout the sum gaxtter Lremreersoyrt and htaligns rlallj mun tlwiri non the enme mum education of the retarded looking forward to little ex that their parents should walk 535 mer tottowtng first year or ma or undelr one asseslstmemf $231115 everiones responsibility he citement With them the day and Pedestrians Should itogefand Students can find their own 233 hainyett 15 friwxmk nlra munlCipai les take the time to co ore l2in nova not littlc more and urbalicentres tea he who Rims iglfgggonanfrgg Sgnéhseigigcusmmed the crossing street and Should tobs but thefischoolf 31311 be hired Will instruct the of cooking ill the should Educatioiiforthc palrt 194 is pleased with the mm directorfofofiemg him kids along specific route have been set aside Sgt 10thgh Sludéms will be goortrIiServwe andthetoodin rm Permg Hui is better ahd more men relatively excellent relation the chance tohave an effect on pointing out the dangers and Thfmpson 53 paid or their SUmmer work 15hVf ear be RLSS BAXTER hm mn he saw ship between the teachels the education of so many nemlndlng them Of the 119$ he Common sense the mam The only disadvantage of the new board he sees is the federations and the board He youngsters says ingredient fill40seats