Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 21, 1992, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press september neighbourhoods editor Maureen 6977292 parents views under wraps school Board denies Access vital by Terry Weber reporter t Iannis Gordon never considered confidentiality was involved when her Samuel Bur land school parents association told the vital school Board what it thought about the divisions no fail but when Gordon asked what parents at other schools the Board went behind closed doors to decide it would reject the request for Access to the other not releasing information respondents we rent specifically told could be made Public May make Gordon but Why debate the re lease secretly that confused me a Little said they said Only things considered private and confidential Are discussed in Gordon said Parent councils across the division were asked earlier this year for their reactions to the pro posed under the students who jail grades will be promoted with their classmates but teachers and re source staff will design individualized programs to ensure they keep the division has said it expects to have the policy in place later this it Muff but when she later asked the Divi Sion for copies of responses to the planned policy from associations other than her she was turned we were Gordon said of the divisions response to the adding sometimes their the divisions answers Are a bit too according to the minutes of the 27 Board the request was denied on the basis that the in formation was requested by the Board with no indication that the in formation would go beyond the Gordon said while she can appreciate the need for such measures on some she also noted the mat Ter in question affects a Broad Cross Section of parents in the those she would probably Benefit from looking at the responses of different to Contact All of the Parent associations is a big Job for rather than go to the Board to get the information which Treyve already she Peter executive assistant to the said the parents association was denied Access to the material because of the Way the boards request for the responses was he said the Board release the material because the initial request haunt told respondents that their responses would be used outside the another Board spokesman said the Board could pass a motion to make the information in the responses pub Gordon said her group is continuing to raise questions about the no fail saying Between 35 and 40 people gathered at an association meeting this month to discuss the one concern arising from that meeting was the Issue of How a child would be motivated to learn if he or she was guaranteed to move from one Grade to the next regardless of she when they get into the if there not doing their the employer is not going to say were go ing to promote you Gor Don some she questioned where the services to support such a program were going to come noting under the proposed poli children who Are having trouble will receive special programming within that Grade where Are All the resources going to come from she Gordon said her group plans to take those concerns and others raised by parents to the Board meet ing later this Ken Giglioni Winnipeg free press boards use close door meetings to discuss anything and Stayner i close door provision critic says by Nick Martin metro reporter provision that allows school boards to hold i camera meetings to discuss personnel matters and con tract tenders is being blatantly a for a provincial parents Sandy director of the Home and Parent teacher federation of Mani said boards use the close door meet Ings to discuss anything and particularly if the subject is of a controversial nature which is not the purpose for allow ing i camera you cant be publicly accountable with in camera the Pas president of the Manitoba association of school trustees said most boards even conduct their committee meetings be Hind closed even when the Board hears from Public they usually meet in private later to debate what to do so trustees can speak said Eric who is also a Jame Assiniboia because they consider themselves corporate directors rather than Jonas son Many trustees see no problem in not speaking freely during Public the chairman of the Assiniboine South school Board its easier to do some plan Ning ourselves before the Public gets in said Wendy according to fort Garry trustee Gary it is difficult for some trustees to participate in a Public there Are times some trustees feel comfortable discussing things behind closed it is a you dont want to raise unnecessary concerns within the division by talking openly about or school he it is necessary for boards to secretly Dis cuss building salary Neotia discipline of alleged teacher staff and anything dealing with a named Jonasson Boniface trustee Hugh Coburn said that things kept behind closed doors Are person Nel things the general Public know about until we investigate and it becomes Public Jonasson said its up to boards to decide if provide Public agendas with lengthy background reports As does the Winnipeg school division or just a simple list of the order in which committee reports will be As in seven detailed reports should always be kept in Board offices for Public he woman accepts Challenge volunteers to work free in Costa Rica River Heights Bald Santin staff reporter Jeff free press living nearby say such signs Are inconsistent with neighbourhoods residential on railway property spell residents say Jet j East Kildonan by Bud Robertson metro reporter they May be signs of the but billboards which have popped up on up rail in East Kildonan have some residents crying its changing the character of the charged John who fired off a letter recently to City protesting the billboards that were erected by Hook outdoor in while his House on Menno Bay face the Kubi said regularly passes them in his i Kubi wants the City to Amend zoning bylaws to allow such billboards Only conditional use Shirley Tim Rudolph Springfield Heights also objects to the As far Asim concerned its t an absolute intrusion into those neigh she told a recent the billboards erected along the cps Lac Dubonnet subdivision right of Way face both residential and commercial property on Gateway Road and Raleigh Hook outdoor advertising regional manager Jeff Goethals acknowledged there has been considerable Public outcry about the the company removed two of the offending one at the Corner of Gateway Road and Springfield Road and the other on Gateway North of Antrim three others remain in As far As removing he said we have not refused discussions Are Hook has 150 billboards throughout the added and this is the first time any have drawn com plaints from the Don Mitchelson Henderson said he would prefer to ask Hook to re move the rather than impose conditional use permits on such Struc since the imposition of new rules would have no effect on those signs already in Lillian Thomas Elmwood suggested raising the railroads which Are currently reduced because of the the matter is to be brought before the cites executive policy committee at the end of your Community news is if there is an Issue in your area that people should know about or somebody who has made a special contribution to your give us a Call at a River Heights woman will soon Exchange her conventional suburban lifestyle for a Hammer and saw in the Jungles of Costa Janice Erickson said she is to leave 1 on a three month Odyssey that is a fulfilment of a lifelong Ive always wanted to work in a developing country and see what i could i have travelled in Central America and Mexico but i want to experience the not just see it from the Erickson said she will be part of a Canadian contingent of 57 volunteers along with others from Guyana and will help build several Community projects in Costa Erickson said she was selected to be part of youth Challenge a Toronto based no government organization that works in developing the volunteers Agenda for three months will include building a nursing childrens Centre and women Coop Centre and doing research on Marine Well be working on three spending one month on each one and then moving Erickson Erickson said Shes not Only volunteering her project involves raising to cover her travel costs and i had a social Friday and i plan to sell shirts and hold some bake sales and other Erickson said of her fundraising Erickson said Shes never done anything like what she will soon adding she has spent her Summers working at a my wac Camp near Ive never done anything like this Erickson adding she has no building trades Jeff de free press Erickson says she is excited about working in Costa teach us How to do Erickson said the project will not Only be a personal test but added that she will be providing people with a helping we give them a Start and they keep it she Erickson said a pamphlet on the youth Challenge piqued her adding she applied and attended a grueling 48hour selection Camp that simulated third world we slept in Lantos and worked outdoors in Erickson said of the selection Camp held last april in we also had to carry around a raw egg for the whole pretend we were carrying delicate scientific Erickson said she is finishing a fou year Bachelor of arts degree in child development psychology it the University of Winnipeg this term before leaving on her when she Erickson she would like to work As a life therapist in a childrens youth Challenge recruits qualified volunteers Between the Ages of 17 and 25 years to work in developing it is funded by the Canadian International development Agency and the private ;