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st orchard park ps hails top custodian 31 kate gilderdale 2 corre when orchard park public schools head custodian won the i prestigious york region board of e education outstanding service i award the news was greeted with unanimous delight by the entire school bob gilmour himself however was amazed to be selected i did- nt know anything about it he said i came in on my afternoon shift and principal mr hopkins asked me to go to his office he handed me this piece of paper and said read it what gilmour read was a letter to him from the board announc- ing that he had been chosen to receive the award i read it and read it but it didnt really hit me mntil about two days later even now he cant quite believe he is being honored for what he sees as just doing his job my favorite day is monday he said this is the best job ive ever had and i love it ive always loved kids ive got two grandchildren and i get along just great with the kids on the street where i live just north of mus- thetribunemay61997p5 trip to remember for stouffville girl kate gilderdale correspondent top of his class head custodian bob gilmour is the pride of orchard park photo by steve somerville he is the best person in our selmans lake if you treat them right theyll treat you right gilmour was a custodian at summitview public school for eight years before moving to orchard park in 1990 according to those who work with him he never succumbs to a bad mood and is living proof that a positive attitude works wonders when john hopkins asked stu dents and staff to supply comments about gilmour for his nomination the outpouring of affection and respect expressed by everyone was overwhelming the following is a small sample of comments from grade 8 stu- bob s sunny disposition and exceptional work habits combine with his pride in a job well done to be an example to all staff and students dents school he helps everyone start their day happy and puts a smile on everyones face he makes school fun and he makes it so people want to come to see him every day the reaction from grade 2 stu dents was equally effusive hes funny and when i go to his office he jokes with me once he gave me a donut when i was so hungry and i didnt have a snack hes always cheerful and funny and as staff members noted his sense people students and staff alike to do their best and to view events from a pos itive perspective observed anoth er given the immense affection he inspires it would have been sur prising if gilmour had not won the award he has time for everyone and as hopkins pointed out he always goes that extra mile to help others but what else would you expect from someone who looks on his job as a pleasure rather than a chore in gilmours words every day is different and every day is a good day he will receive his award may 8 at the sheraton parkway hotel thanks to the generosity of local residents and businesses elizabeth carr flew to salt lake city with her parents to receive her yes i can award april 12 elizabeth 9 was born with spina bifida and was expected to spend her life in a wheelchair however doctors reckoned without her determina tion and the dedication and support of her parents teachers and thera pists today elizabeth not only walks but has added indoor snowshoe ing ice skating and roller skating to her impressive list of achievements when orchard park public school teachers ruth geddes and regan crawley heard about the award they obtained her mothers permission to nominate elizabeth her family was thrilled when elizabeth was one of only three canadians to win the prestigious award which is sponsored by the usbased foundation for exceptional children a nonprofit organization for the advancement of education of disabled and gifted children the cost of the flight and accommodation was prohibitive however so geddes and special education assistant cathy may established a fund for the carr family at the local cibc and community response was swift and generous said elizabeths mother theresa id like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone in town the support was enormous both financially and emotionally and a huge thank you to mrs may and mrs geddes who orchestrated everything they just pulled out all the stops and we are so grateful elizabeth was enchanted with salt lake city as soon as we got there i looked out the window and saw the mountains it was so beautiful she said the awards ceremony took place at the salt palace convention centre and each winner received a bronze statuette she also got a cer tificate and letters from jean chretien and bill clinton said theresa when it was over recipients and their families attended a reception at the marriott hotel there was lots to eat and drink said elizabeth with a happy grin geddes and may flew to salt lake city to attend the cere mony coming back to reality required a considerable adjustment for all of them acknowledged theresa we had such a wonderful time it was a once in a lifetime trip and an experience we will never forget chart used in negotiations you are here in negotiating process with teachers york regions separate school supporters are being told in chart form a flow chart of the contract talks with an arrow and the note we are currently at this stage is included in a recent separate board pamphlet it was distributed to explain the process to parents some of whom phone the board worried that a labor dispute could cancel extracur ricular activities before the school year ends said a board spokesper son the board is also providing teacher negotiations hotline at 7131211 ext 7040 its recorded messagethis week reminds callers of the harsh reality of government funding cuts and says the bulk of heavy negotiations with teachers is expected this fall a spokesperson for teachers questioned this approach were pre pared to negotiate fully now said claire laughlin of york catholic teachers of humor is matched by his dedication to the job bobs sunny disposition and exceptional work habits combine with his pride in a job well done to be an example to all staff and stu dents wrote one teacher mr gilmour enhances the daily working conditions of our school he is our officialunofficial cheer leader he constantly encourages catholic board goes for logos corporate logos will start appearing this fall on paper catholic school students use in class or bring home to parents thanks to a sponsorship deal at the separate school board the deal covers all photocopy paper used by students and staff and paper on which school newsletters are written but not exam foolscap or sensitive documents the board says the advertising through a company called educorp dynamics will provide up to 260000 a year to spread between participating schools in a board survey completed this month 34 school councils supported the idea 23 opposed it and nine could not decide the board is also allowing corporate logos on school notebooks this fall through a separate deal with another company l fox on the run a vixen nervously watches over her two kittens at a fox den on the aurora sideroad just east of ballantrae last thursday j photo by sjoerd witteveen tu vi j insfiiaanhifsthwik ft i i itfta tritjk c r- f gx c xxxixmxvb wss