Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 19, 2007, Winnipeg, Manitoba Top news Winnipeg free press wednesday december 19, 2007 a5 Winnipeg repress. Com we need your help menus Winter boots and outdoor footwear Are urgently required for those in need. Make a difference in someones life today by dropping off your kind donation of footwear at any of the following Canadian footwear locations 128 Adelaide 1504 St. Maryus re. 1530 Regent ave. $ 490 / Eye ask about our lowest Price guarantee starting at prices subject to change without prior notice. Prices May vary based on prescription strength. Applicable to surgery on both eyes. Free consultation 204.989.2221 or. Richard Bains or. John Van Der Zweep or. Richard Leger my of Csc dip. Abo my of Csc my of Csc Halifax Montreal Ottawa Toronto Edmonton Calgary Vancouver Winnipeg 360 main Street suite 2090 wow. La Sikma. Com toll free 1.866.366.2020 Over 4 0 00 0 0 p Roc Edu r e s performed in Canada laser vision correction state of the Art technology Bausch & lomb z100 laser new technology available at lasik my world renowned doctors our laser Eye surgeons Are among the most experienced and renowned in the world by Nick Martin High school students in Brandon could be singing schools out for the summer much later than kids throughout the rest of Manitoba. Brand ones three High schools could have longer Days courses taught Over the traditional lunch hour and classes held at least a week deeper into june. The proposed changes Are part of a sweeping Experiment that could be weighed by school divisions throughout Manitoba because they face the same problem that Brandon is trying to solve. Brandon trustees vote on the changes Jan. 28. Grades 9 through 11 could be in class writing tests As late As june 25 this school year if the plan goes ahead Brandon school division superintendent Donna Michaels said tuesday. Were taking a look at our year and How we use our time Michaels said. Were looking at improving outcomes for our students added school Board chairman Jim Murray. Teachers Are paid to the end of june. They classes will go to the end of june this year. Murray said that Brandon has been wrestling with How to fit into the timetable provincial plans next year to add mandatory physical education credits for grades 11 and 12. The department of education guideline Calls for each course to have 110 hours of classroom time. Our schools instruction runs Between 90 and 95 hours based on the current school Calendar and daily timetable Murray said. The courses Are designed at 110 hours of instruction. Michaels said that Brand ones plan would be to push exams for grades 9 to 11 As far Back in june As possible allowing for at least one additional week of classes beyond what has been customary. Many High schools throughout Manitoba end classes Early in june and finish exams a few Days past mid june leaving the rest of the month for marking and preparation for Grad. Grade 12 Marks must be ready for the graduation ceremonies held late in june. Wed treat Grade 12 differently because of Grad said Michaels but the lower grades dont need to file final Marks until june 30, which Falls in 2008 on a monday. Exams requiring essay answers and thus taking longer to Mark would have to be written first Michaels said. Murray said that if the school wide lunch hour became class time there would be one additional Opportunity each Day to schedule subjects while still giving students and teachers a lunch hour Between 11 a. And 2 p. Meanwhile High schools would add 12 minutes to the beginning or end of the Day and shorten the break time Between periods. The classes will be three or four minutes longer and the cumulative effect is to hit 105 hours of instructional time for each credit Michaels said. Meantime Brandon teachers association president Sherilyn Bambridge said schools should be Able to handle the new phys de credits without extending class time. It is a workload Issue for teachers said Bambridge. No other school division in Manitoba is considering extending the school Day she said. Any change in the school Day would also affect busing forcing kids to get on the bus earlier or return Home later Bambridge said. We have a number of High school students who have jobs and there Are also at risk students who already have trouble getting to school for 9 a. M., she said. Nick. Martin free press. My. Ca school year changes whats making life complicated for High schools the province is adding mandatory grades 11 and 12 physical education credits next school year. The province says there should be 110 hours of instruction time for each High school credit. The school year starts the Day after labour Day ends june 30 at the latest. With 10 in service and administrative Days there Are 186 teaching Days available. Why is that a problem education officials estimate students now get about 90 to 95 hours of instructional time for each credit. What is Brandon Board proposing the High school Day would add 12 minutes at the beginning or end of the Day. The break Between classes would shrink from five to three minutes. The uniform school wide lunch break would become an additional period available for timetabling classes. Students and staff would still get a lunch hour just not necessarily at noon. Grade 12 exams would go As late As possible allowing the time necessary to Mark before convocation. Grades 9 to 11 exams would go As late As possible to get a final Mark by june 30 realistically adding at least one More week of class time in june. By Chris Webb w heat has broken the $ 10 per Bushel Mark for the first time in history. And while thatus Good news for Prairie Farmers rising prices will leave Consumers paying More for their daily bread. Low Reserve stocks of wheat at the end of the year Are behind the Price increase said Bruce Burnett Canadian wheat Board director of marketing analysis adding a world Supply shortage and High consumer demand have also pushed the Price to record highs. With droughts hitting australian Farmers hard and Russia and Ukraine seeing poor production years world wheat supplies Are expected to drop to a 30 year Low next year raising the Price further. Burnett said the High trading prices will also mean greater returns for Canadian Farmers but rising costs in other areas will not necessarily equal higher profits. Higher fertilizer Gas and equipment prices Are affecting Canadian wheat Farmers so this is driving up their own costs significantly Burnett said. David Rolfe president of Keystone agricultural producers said the increase is a Short term Benefit for Farmers but record prices Are becoming a necessity for wheat Farmers to just break even. Overall this is beneficial for Farmers but were just getting to the Point where Farmers can break even without having their Revenue eaten up with other costs Rolfe said. Beverly Stow a wheat Farmer in the red River Valley said the $ 10 per Bushel Mark is misleading. Its not $ 10 to us. A third of the Cost goes to freight and transport costs and then add pesticides and fertilizers to that and were Back to $ 6 for a Bushel she said. Higher Selling prices will help our base but companies Are also pushing up their prices so our costs increase. The Price of wheat has More than doubled Over the past year but weather patterns have affected growing seasons and reduced production from Canada to Australia. Discontent Over the Price of wheat has led to protests in Asia and High inflation rates in Europe pushed food costs up last month. According to Burnett Consumers will be most affected by the rising prices. Mills and other manufacturers will probably have to raise prices but this does not mean that bread prices will double if wheat prices double he said. At gunns bakery on Selkirk Avenue the increasing Price of wheat flour has had an Impact on the Price of bread said store owner Arthur Gunn. Flour has gone up tremendously Over the last year. Its really unbelievable that we have to pay this much and it looks like prices Are Only increasing Gunn said. The Price of a 20 kilogram bag of flour has gone up by four dollars Over the year and weave had to Mark most of our bread up by about 25 cents. Nissin foods has also announced it will raise prices on its cup of noodles in the new year because of rising wheat prices. Rising prices and mounting fuel costs also forced Kik Koman japans biggest soy sauce manufacturer to raise prices for the first time in 18 years. And it does not Stop there Burnett warned. A volatile Market could push prices up further he said. These Are record Price Levels were seeing now and depending on growing conditions next year theress nothing to say that we hit higher Levels in the new year he said. Chris. Webb free press. My. Ca wheat Price hits historic Mark Consumers to feel the Pinch As world Supply drops to 30 year Low its not $ 10 to us. A third of the Cost goes to freight and transport costs and then add pesticides and fertilizers to that and were Back to $ 6 for a bushels Farmer Beverly Stow handout Down Down gone this truck broke through the ice on the red River last week near Selkirk. It was one of two vehicles that fell though the not so Frozen River in the last week and Selkirk ramp Are advising Manitoban to keep their vehicles off the River. The fact that there were no injuries is a Blessing const. Rick Schroeder said. He said that with fluctuating temperatures it is too soon to determine the depth of the ice and whether it is Safe. The red River is known for ice fishing with the stretch Between Lockport and Selkirk especially popular. Stu Mckay owner of the outfitting business cats on the red in Lockport said he has not yet allowed any of his clients to drive out onto the ice. Brandon students teachers face Shorter Summers classes May become 3 to 4 minutes longer ;