Literacy Nights Recognized

2009-05-27

07:26:37

Some recognition for students and staff at Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton.

The school was recently cited by Northwest Catholic District School Board trustees for its family literacy nights.

Education Director Mary-Catherine Kelly says children and their parents benefited from the activities.

"It engages the parents in the school," says Kelly. "When the students are engaged with their parents in reading, we know it makes an impact on the student's positive outlook on education. The children's achievements are improving and the parents are supporting their children's reading at home. The families have lots of fun when they come to the school."

Kelly says staff organized a number of interactive events that helped make learning fun.
 

 

New Vice-Principal

2009-05-27

07:25:49

There will be a new vice-principal at Robert Moore School in September.

Cam Keast moves to the position after serving as an intermediate teacher at the Fort Frances school for the past sixteen years.

Operational Plan Developed

2009-05-27

07:22:08

There's still another month of school left, but the Rainy River District school board is looking ahead to the next year.

Work is underway on a new operational plan for the 09-10 school year.

Education director Jack McMaster says next month, the board will be review comments recently received on a proposed plan.

"We've gone out to five communities," says McMaster, "and met with community members to receive their feedback in terms of what they liked what we did this year and what we should be doing next year. We'll take that feedback, along with the feedback from our principals and staff and fold that in to our operational plan."

McMaster says there will also be additional input from principals before the plan is presented to trustees in the fall.

New Passport Rules Coming

2009-05-27

07:12:26

The U-S Homeland Security chief says the new passport rules that go into effect June 1 are common sense.

As of next Monday, travellers to the U-S will need a passport or an enhanced drivers licence to cross the border. Janet Napolitano says card readers have been distributed and travellers have been warned of the changes for months.

Napolitano is meeting again today with her Canadian counterpart, Peter Van Loan in Ottawa, to go over border concerns. The two were in Detroit and Windsor yesterday to boost policing
on the water.

An agreement now allows Mounties and the U.S. Coast Guard to ride on each other's vessels for joint patrols. Their vessels must currently stop at the border and call the other country's agencies for help.

Meantime, the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association doesn't anticipate any problems with American tourists getting stranded next week in Canada because they don't have a passport.

Executive Director Doug Reynolds says they have been working on this issues for several years now.

"We and lots of other folks have tried to get the word out that this requirement has been coming," says Reynold, "and it's been coming for some time. We've also reminded folks as well it's a U.S. initiative, not a Canadian initiative. They don't need a passport to get into Canada. They need a passport to get back home." 

Reynolds suggests that high gas prices and the recession will likely have a bigger impact on travel plans by American tourists this summer than the new passport requirements.