vol. 46/no. 3 december 2002

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 2V o l . 4 6 / N o . 3

N E W F O U N D L A N D A N D L A B R A D O R T E A C H E R S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N

the bulletin december 20022

U P F R O N T

If you have not yet visited or signed on to theVirtual Teacher Centre (VTC), I recom-

mend that you do so. It is an excellent site tovisit, well organized, and provides a greatchance for teachers to access professionaldevelopment opportunities.

As stated in its Mission Statement, theVirtual Teacher Centre has a mandate todevelop, facilitate and deliver professionaland program support to teachers throughoutNewfoundland and Labrador. It works hand-in-hand with educators at both the districtand school levels, and in partnership withMemorial University of Newfoundland andthe Department of Education, in the develop-ment and delivery of content. The VirtualTeacher Centre model is based upon the ideaof delivery of professional development to theworkplace.

One of the features of the VTC is that youcan become a member of the site simply bysigning up. You then gain access to terrificprofessional development opportunities andgreat links to other sites. It is easy to join andyou are able to set up your own user profile,digital portfolio and are able to receive mes-sages from other users, have access to thecomplete user list, and also access to yourown personal planner.

The sitemap tells it all. There are Canadianresources, online curriculum resources, teach-ing resources, online professional develop-ment, organizational support, a generalreference section, software repository, clearinghouse site links, online subscriptions, literaryresources, as well as many more options.

Interesting aspects of the VTC are the dis-cussion groups and virtual teacher forumsthat can take place on a variety of topics.These are set up with moderators and orga-nized for the various school districts. The sec-tion on “Tutorials for Teachers” providesonline learning opportunities where thelearner is taken through a step-by-stepprocess to acquire new skills. The instruc-tions state that the tutorial may vary in lengthfrom short 20 minute learning experiences toothers that may take several days. Theinstructions further state that the tutorials arebased upon a self-directed learning approachwhere one works through each successivetask at ones’ own pace and time.

The Virtual Teacher Centre is stillexpanding and adding new information allthe time. There will be many other resourcesadded in coming weeks. It is an impressivesite and a welcome addition to opportunitiesfor professional development for teachers. Itis impossible to describe its many features inthis short editorial. You must see it to appre-ciate it!

The address is www.virtualteachercentre.caor it can be accessed from the main page ofthe NLTA website, www.nlta.nf.ca. It is easyto navigate and an enjoyable and informativeexperience even for the noneducator.

During this holiday season may yourhearts be light and your homes filled withhappiness. Have a safe and happy Christmas.All the best in 2003.

A New VirtualExperience

Lesley-Ann BrowneEditor

Michelle LamarcheEditorial Assistant

Linda Babstock, John Bishop,Elliott Green, Louise KingDesign • Printing • Distribution

Linda FarrellOnline Services

The Bulletin is published eight times a yearduring the school year by the

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Printed on Recycled Paper


Features10 Christmas Message

Happy Holidaysby Winston Carter & Edward Hancock

12 Living WellWhen the Past IntrudesKnow What to Expect, Know What to Doby Claudette E.S. Coombs

14 Money MattersFinancial Management

16 Collective BargainingCollective Bargaining:Environment & Outcomesby John Staple

20 NLTA Submits Brief to Royal Commissionby Ed Hancock

22 What the Students Think:My Idea of a Teacherby June Bennett

Departments

Up Front 2

On Location News 4

Obituaries 9

Resources 23

Calendar back cover

C O N T E N T S

OPENING AND CLOSINGDATES OF SCHOOL

School Year 2003-04

Opening: September 2, 2003Closing: June 25, 2004

School Year 2004-05


School Year 2005-06


For Your Information


O N L O C A T I O N

4

DEER LAKE

SAC awards 2002 DistinguishedPrincipal AwardVictor May, Principal of Elwood Primary School inDeer Lake, was recently awarded the SchoolAdministrator’s Council 2002 Distinguished PrincipalAward. Victor has been instrumental in the develop-ment of many initiatives at Elwood Primary includingschool growth plans, the student referral team, the KidsEat Smart breakfast program, Elwood Complex NaturePark and the pre-Kindergarten program.

Victor has also been involved in many provincial andnational associations, including the NLTA SchoolAdministrator’s Council, the Canadian Association ofPrincipals Foundation and Canadian Association ofPrincipals. He has served on the Deer Lake branch ofthe NLTA and has been involved in a host of commit-tees including school councils, student evaluation,teacher evaluation, resource-based learning and schoolgrowth committees.(Since the submission of this news article, we regret to informyou that Mr. May passed away suddenly on December 1.Our deepest sympathy to family, colleagues and friends.)

PORT AUX BASQUES

Raising funds for cancer researchThe school motto at St. James Elementary School inPort aux Basques is “We Care”. And, according toPrincipal Ray Bown, the students and staff at St. Jamestry to demonstrate this through their actions. “Ourschool has always participated in the Terry Fox Run forCancer Research and for the past few years we havemade it a Physical Education project for our Grade 6students,” he said.

The students viewed a movie about Terry Fox anddiscussed how he wanted to help others and make adifference. Students were then given pledge sheets andasked if they would like to do their part in helpingTerry achieve his dream. Of a total of 77 Grade 6 stu-dents, 38 decided to take part in the Terry Fox Run.

Stephanie Downey, a student who single-handedlyraised $229 by spending three afternoons going door-to-door, said she just wanted to do something to helpother people. Students Terri Lynn Button and AshleyChurchill said they wanted to help cancer research andthat you never know when someone in your own fami-ly could get cancer.

The actual run was held during a PhysicalEducation class. All 77 students took part and thosewho collected money were given certificates, book-marks, and transfers for their efforts.

Mrs. Mauger, the physical education teacher, feelsthe run is an excellent teaching tool. “While encourag-ing children to become more active, it also teaches chil-dren the value of compassion and how each person canmake a difference,” she said. “Thirty-eight childrenwere able to give the Terry Fox Foundation $1,091with very little effort and a lot of fun.”

ST. JOHN’S

Paper cranes help pave the wayto a Peaceful SchoolThe students and staff at St. John Bosco have beenworking hard making 1,400 paper cranes as part of aproject the school has undertaken on their road tobecoming a Peaceful School.

PROV I N C I A L/NAT I O NA L/IN T E R NAT I O NA L

NEWS

Mrs. Mauger and her Grade 6 students at St. James Elementary pose for agroup photo after raising $1,091 for the Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research.

Victor May


Provincial Concours d’ArtOratoire (Concours)The Provincial Concours d’Art Oratoire (Concours)2003 public speaking competition will take place in St.John’s on Saturday, April 5, 2003.

There are two exciting additions to this year’sConcours. First, His Excellency John Ralston Saul hasaccepted the invitation to serve as the HonouraryChairperson for the Provincial Concours. HisExcellency will present the awards at the banquet andgive a brief speech to the delegation.

Second, Canadian Parents for French National hasreinstated the National Concours. It will be held onJune 7, 2003 at the Glendon Campus of YorkUniversity in Toronto. Canadian Parents for French –Newfoundland and Labrador will send five students toToronto to represent Newfoundland and Labrador.

For more information please contact the Branchoffice of Canadian Parents for French at 579-1776 ortoll-free at 1-877-576-1776.

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

Ella Manuel Award winners announcedThe 2002 winners of the Ella Manuel Awards wereawarded to Amanda Collier of Holy Cross Central HighSchool in St. Alban’s and Emily Woolfrey from CoakerAcademy in Summerford. The two winners were selectedfrom many excellent applications received from highschools around the province.

Both winners are outstanding students and bothwere actively involved in school and community affairs.Amanda’s interests include music, sports and the GirlGuide movement. She plans on majoring in chemistryat Memorial University and intends to pursue a careeras a forensic or research scientist. Emily is interested instudying psychology and is an accomplished pianist, akeen student of French, and an active member of theSea Cadets.

This is the seventeenth year in which the award(s)have been given in memory of noted Newfoundlandand Labrador writer, broadcaster, peace activist andfeminist Ella Manuel. The award assists young womengraduating from high schools around the province infurthering their education.(Photo of Emily Woolfrey unavailable at time of printing.)

NLTA scholarships awardedSix Newfoundland and Labrador students who com-pleted high school last June have been awarded NLTAscholarships for 2002-03. They are: Ryan Barnes(Coaker Academy), son of Gloria Barnes, Summerford;Peter Colbert (Mount Pearl Senior High), son of Fredand Helen Colbert, Mount Pearl; Michael Collins (HolyHeart of Mary High School), son of Clare Barry, St.John’s; Heather Dawe (Ascension Collegiate), daughterof Roland Dawe, Bay Roberts; Rebecca LeDrew (HolyHeart of Mary High School), daughter of EileenLeDrew, St. John’s; and Katie Soper (Gander Collegiate),daughter of Nick Soper and Marie Matheson, Gander.

The scholarships are awarded annually to dependentsof active, retired, disabled, or deceased members of theNLTA and are valued at $1,000 each. Awards are basedon achievement in the scholarship exams administeredby the Department of Education and are made in accor-dance with the Schools Act (Scholarship) Regulations.

6

O N L O C A T I O N

Amanda Collier

Peter Colbert

Michael Collins Heather Dawe

Rebecca LeDrew Katie Soper

Ryan Barnes

The cranes are connected to a story from WorldWar II. In 1945 when the bomb was dropped on thecity of Hiroshima, Japan, many people became sick anddied as an immediate result. However, others who wereexposed to the blast became sick years later. One ofthese people was a young girl called Sadako Sasaki. Shewas an 11-year-old girl who enjoyed relay racing andwas a member of her school relay team. One day whilepracticing her running, she fainted. She was told shehad Leukemia – the ‘atom bomb disease’. While in thehospital, one of her friends visited, bringing with her apaper crane. She told Sadako of the legend – if a personmakes 1,000 paper cranes, they will have a long life.Sadako decided to make 1,000 cranes so that she wouldrecover from her sickness and live forever.

Unfortunately, Sadako died on October 25, 1955. Shehad made only 644 cranes. Her friends made the 356cranes that were needed to complete her 1,000. Theythen decided to continue making cranes in her honour.They organized paper-folding clubs and raised money tomake a monument for Sadako and other children whodied because of the bomb. In 1958, their dream cametrue. A statue of Sadako holding a golden crane has beenplaced in Hiroshima Peace Park. It is there because ofthe money that her friends and the children of Japanraised. On the base of it reads their wish: This is our cry,this is our prayer; Peace in the World.

“At St. John Bosco, we have taken the approach ofstudents helping students to make our peace cranes,”said Alison Edwards, a teacher at St. John Bosco. Allstudents listened to a version of the story, as written inSadako by Eleanor Coerr and illustrated by Ed Young.The Grade 9 students were first taught to make thecranes and they taught others, including members ofthe junior high classes. These classes then taught theprimary and elementary grades. “The primary and ele-mentary students benefited from being tutored andmentored while the adolescents were encouraged to begentle and caring as they take ownership of their lead-ership role,” said Ms. Edwards. The 1,400 peace craneswere presented at the November 11 assembly and willbe placed around the school to show what can happenwhen we work together to achieve a goal.

Both NTV News and The Telegram covered this storyand some students were interviewed. Ms. Edwards saidthe students were thrilled, seeing their hard work beingrecognized in familiar media forums.

As a follow-up, St. John Bosco students will be goingto a local high school to present to their Global Issuesclass, teach them to make the peace cranes and tell thestory surrounding the activity

Halloween celebrations at theNewfoundland School for the DeafDressing up and pumpkin carving are major compo-nents of the annual celebration of Halloween at theNewfoundland School for the Deaf in St. John’s. All stu-dents from Kindergarten to high school take part indressing up in their scariest costumes and carving theirclass pumpkins.

A special lunch offering monster parts, lumberjackfingers, intestine rings, witches’ breath and eyeballdelight was served to the horror of all of the students.Winners of the senior pumpkin carving competition,with a carving of Shrek, were Janice Bown, ScottCollins, Jonathan Peddle, Nancy Lynn Dillon, StephenKirby and Jonathan Jones. Tweety Bird was a close sec-ond. Junior students Jennifer Brown, Jeremy Jones,Dylan Green and Ryan Williams strut their stuff onstage as they modeled their costumes, while StephenKirby, the “Undead”, served up his bloody delicacies inthe House of Horror.


O N L O C A T I O N

Students at the Newfoundland Schoolfor the Deaf win the senior pumpkincarving competition with their carvingof, “Shrek”.

“The problem with Christmas vacation is, they let my own kids out the same time they let me out.”


O N L O C A T I O N

DEBOUT, created in partnership with theFédération de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne (FESFO),an acknowledged leader in the area of cultural develop-ment, marks specific dates throughout the school yearsuch as Francophonie Flag Day, Francophone Week,Volunteer Week, Earth Day and Heritage Day. EachFrancophone community, from British Columbia andthe Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, will findexciting interdisciplinary activities based on its history,traditions, media, artists, music and landscape.

Thanks to a Canadian Heritage grant, CTF was ableto print sufficient quantities to distribute a copy of thehandbook to every teacher in Francophone schools out-side of Quebec. Copies are being sold at cost to the gen-eral public and can be purchased directly from CTF.

Resources address obesity andinactivity among Canadian youth Health Canada and the Canadian Society for ExercisePhysiology (CSEP) have recently released newresources to address physical inactivity and obesityamong Canada’s children and youth.

“These resources are an important cornerstone tohealthy living, where factors such as regular exerciseand good nutrition can produce life-long benefits byreducing such debilitating conditions as diabetes andcardiovascular disease,” said the Honourable AnneMcLellan, Minister of Health.

The new materials, for both children and youth,include a Family Guide for parents and other care-givers, a Teacher’s Guide for educators, and interactivemagazines for children and youth themselves. The newresources are companion products to Health Canada’sCanada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youthreleased in April 2002.

The Guides reinforce the importance of daily physi-cal activity and promote the benefits of being physicallyactive. Studies show physical activity helps to reducethe risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The Guides provide families, caregivers, teachers,health care providers, recreation and community lead-ers with information and tips to help inactive childrenand youth understand the importance of daily physicalactivity, and make informed decisions about takingsteps to become more active.

Research has shown that more than half ofCanadian children and youth are not active enough foroptimal growth and development. From 1981 to 1996,the prevalence of overweight children and youth dou-bled, and obesity tripled for both boys and girls.

The new resources were developed in collaborationwith CSEP and are supported by the Canadian

Paediatric Society and the College of Family Physiciansof Canada. “Encouraging and helping young people tobe physically active on a daily basis sets the stage forlife-long behaviour that is critical to the overall healthand quality of life of Canadians,” said Dr. Mike Sharrattof CSEP.

Promotion and distribution of the new resources arepart of a partnership effort between Health Canada,provincial and territorial governments, more than 60national organizations, and children’s hospitals acrossthe country, all of whom have officially endorsed theGuides and support resources.

The new guidelines, released in April, recommendthat inactive children and youth increase the amount oftime they currently spend being physically active by atleast 30 minutes per day to start and decrease the timethey spend on TV, playing computer games and surfingthe Internet by at least 30 minutes per day. Theincrease in physical activity should include a combina-tion of moderate activity (such as brisk walking, skatingand bike riding) and vigorous activity (such as runningand playing soccer) and can be accumulated in bouts of5 to 10 minutes each.

Copies of the new Guides and support resources areavailable free-of-charge by calling 1-888-334-9769 orvisiting www.healthcanada.ca/paguide.

Call for submissions from theLeague of Canadian PoetsThe League of Canadian Poets is looking for submis-sions from Canadian high school English and LanguageArts teachers for an on-line booklet to be launched incelebration of Young Poets’ Week, April 6 to 12, 2003.The League is interested in short articles (300-700words) that answer the question, “How can we teach alove of poetry?”

Possible approaches may include, but are not limit-ed to: How can we introduce reluctant students to thegenre of poetry?; How can we encourage students witha special talent for writing poetry?; How can we teachstudents to relate the poetry they read to their ownlives?; or a description of a school-wide or class poetryevent or workshop you have used successfully with stu-dents in the past.

If articles are selected for publication, the author willreceive a small honorarium of $30 in thanks for theirwork. Please send articles in the body of an e-mail toAnna Humphrey, Marketing Coordinator, League ofCanadian Poets, at [email protected] no later thanFebruary 15, 2003.

8

CANADA

Canada Book Week 2003In response to the overwhelming success of CanadaBook Day, held annually on World Book Day (April23), the Writers’ Trust of Canada is pleased toannounce that the celebration of Canadian authors andbooks has been expanded to an entire week. CanadaBook Week will take place from April 21 to 27, 2003,with national and local events already developingacross the country.

This year’s theme, “Literary Landscapes and LiterarySites”, highlights the importance that particular placeshave played, and continue to play, in the developmentof our national literature. Authors William Bell, GeorgeElliot Clarke, Hiromi Goto, Sheila Heti, Jean Little,Janet Lunn, Kevin Major, Leon Rooke, and Paul Yeehave been commissioned to write about some of theunique places that have inspired Canadian letters. Thepieces will appear in the 2003 booklets to be distrib-uted to elementary schools, high schools, and librariesacross the country by the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

As in past years, Canada Book Week automaticallydistributes posters, booklets and bookmark/coupons toindividual schools across the country.

Other events during Canada Book Week include thesecond season of CBC Canada Reads, National PoetryMonth, BC Book and Magazine Week, and ManitobaBook Week. Obviously, there are more reasons thanever to celebrate Canadian authors and books.

Watch www.canadabookweek.com for more informa-tion and ideas as Canada Book Week draws closer or con-tact Lindsey Love, Canada Book Week Coordinator at416-504-8222, ext. 241, e-mail: [email protected].

Handbook brings to life French-Canadian culture in the classroomsTo mark Canadian Children’s Book Week, theCanadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) launched thefirst national francophone cultural activities handbookever produced in Canada entitled DEBOUT (transla-tion: Be proud, stand tall), which celebrates theFrancophone culture in minority settings.

“Our objective is to help children and youth appre-ciate and take pride in their important place within theCanadian Francophonie,” said CTF President DougWillard. “We believe that this handbook provides aunique inventory of facts and resources integrated intoan entertaining and educational activities program.”

(continued on page 8)


O N L O C A T I O N

O N L O C A T I O N

MARIE PACK, 1962 – 2002

On August 15, 2002, family, stu-dents and friends were saddenedby the death of Marie Pack.

Marie was very courageousin her fight against breast can-cer. During her year of illnessshe never complained and neversaid, “Why me?”. Instead, herattitude was “Why not me”.

Marie was born on December 7, 1962 and was thedaughter of Rodney and Mona Blanchard. She receivedher primary and elementary education at the EpiphanySchool in McIvers and was a graduate of TempletonCollegiate in Gillams. Marie received her Bachelor ofArts in Primary Education from Memorial University ofNewfoundland in 1986.

Her first teaching position was in Rencontre Eastfrom 1984-86. Throughout her career she taught inHermitage (1986-87), McCallum (1987-88), and atGaultois (1988-2001).

While teaching at McCallum she met her husband,Wade Pack. They were married on July 6, 1991 andwere blessed with two daughters, Laura Marie, age 9,and Lisa Elaine, age 4. Marie was a dedicated motherand wife to her family.

A valued member of the community, Marie was amember of the library board and a Girl Guide leader.She also taught Sunday School and often read duringchurch services.

To her students, Marie stressed that hard work anddedication were the means to reaching goals. To hercolleagues she was a team player who unselfishly gaveof her time to always serve her students. Marie wassupportive of her colleagues and was enthusiasticallycommitted to a collaborative approach of helping herschool achieve success.

Marie was an inspiration to all in the communitieswhere she taught and lived. She will be forever missedby those who knew her.(Submitted by Tracy Simms, Victoria Academy, Gaultois)

LLOYD T. PEARCE, 1950 – 2002

Friends and colleagues weresaddened to hear of the suddenpassing of Lloyd Pearce onSeptember 18, 2002.

Lloyd began his musicteaching career in the early sev-enties at Mary Queen of PeaceSchool in St. John’s. After oneyear he returned to his home-town of Harbour Grace where

he continued his teaching at St. Paul’s School. Heretired from Davis Elementary in Carbonear in June2001.

Lloyd possessed the gift of music as a performer, aknowledgeable critic and as a teacher. He passed on hislove of music to hundreds of students, many of whomare music teachers today. He was a great supporter ofthe Kiwanis Music Festivals and post-secondary musiceducation.

Lloyd’s warmth, empathy and sense of humourendeared him to many. If measured by the number ofhis friends, Lloyd was truly a wealthy man.

Lloyd is sadly missed by his brother Wayne (AnneWhelan and their daughter Ruby Anne), special friendsSister Marie Roche and David Butler, and a large circleof colleagues, friends and students.


I N M E M O R I A M


O N L O C A T I O N

It seems as if it were only yes-terday that I extended my

back to school message; now,we are fast approaching theHoliday Season.

This Fall I have been privi-leged to meet hundreds ofteachers and together we havebeen able to address many con-cerns. I have witnessed first-

hand some of the many positive and rewardingexperiences that teachers are effecting in our schools.The teachers of this province must be commended forthe time and effort they are expending in their pursuitof excellence in teaching.

Our work lives are so full of daily challenges andactivities that we often wonder where the time hasgone. We all know and fully understand that it is bothhealthy and wise to find our own personal space, relaxand reflect upon all of the wonderful opportunities thatteaching has to offer.

During this Christmas Season may your hearts belight, your thoughts on family and friends, and mayyou enjoy the season as never before. Have a wonderfulChristmas, joyful New Year, and may the future bebright and happy.

My thoughts and wishes for a safe and happy holi-day season are with you all. On behalf of the ProvincialExecutive Council of the Newfoundland and LabradorTeachers’ Association I wish you a joyous Christmasand a very Happy New Year!

It is a pleasure, once again, tohave the opportunity to

extend greetings to all of ourmembers and their families andfriends, with a wish for a festiveand joyous Christmas seasonand a safe and prosperous 2003.After a very busy fall and thefirst few months of a newschool year, the Christmas sea-

son provides us with an opportunity to relax and reju-venate; to focus on family, friends and, indeed,ourselves; and to give thanks for the many positiveaspects of our lives and in the lives of those close to us.Further, notwithstanding the many challenges we allface daily, this time of year provides an opportunity toextend thanks and best wishes to each other as mem-bers of our professional family, the NLTA, for the sup-port and security provided by that connection. And wemust also keep in mind that Christmas is the time ofyear to consider the many less fortunate among us andto give of ourselves so that Christmas joy can be experi-enced by all.

Through my involvement with the NLTA, I havehad the fortunate experience over the years to visitmany schools in this province and to witness first-handthe valuable contributions you, our teachers, make toall our students and the almost superhuman efforts youmake on their behalf. Your professional organizationand union, the NLTA, is proud to support and assistthose efforts in any way possible.

On behalf of all the staff who work on your behalf atthe NLTA office, I wish you a very happy Christmas anda safe and prosperous New Year. May the peace andlove that are the essence of the Christmas message bewith you throughout the holiday season and afterwards.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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C H R I S T M A S G R E E T I N G S

Happy Holidays


O N L O C A T I O N

Memories… they fill our days, organize ourlives and bring us pleasure and pain. Withoutan effective memory we would not be able to

function. Schedules, qualifications and relationshipswould be meaningless. Fortunately, we do have theability to absorb and interpret information and therebyplan and act accordingly. Much of our thinking andbehaviour is based on past experiences, either our ownor those we have witnessed. We interpret our worldand the events within it according to our knowledge,perceived patterns and expected outcomes. This is anecessary and usually helpful process. Unfortunately,our memories aren’t always positive and their impactisn’t always helpful. In those situations it is up to us tomake sense of the memories, create constructivechange and plan a positive future despite our history.

The good times…Remembering good times helps us maintain a positiveapproach to life, giving us hope during those timeswhen things go wrong. Favourite memories bring apleasure which we can call upon at any time. Takingtime out to reflect on happy, successful or contentoccasions will confirm our belief that life holds somuch. When we are feeling fortunate, productive, com-fortable, relaxed, energetic or optimistic we are thrivingon the effects of positive memories. We are creating anatmosphere where these feeling can expand to take inall components of our environment: our work, home,relationships and personal sense of well-being. Toenhance each day we collect treasured moments, com-mit those descriptive mental pictures to memory, andbuild a repertoire of positive, on-call images.

To really appreciate the positive impact of memoriesand the power of thought, recall a personal experience,or one that you have witnessed, of “falling in love”.Feelings of euphoria permeate all aspects of one’s life.Even dealing with otherwise difficult situations is lessstressful because we are convinced of the ultimate goodin the world.

The bad times…Now compare that feeling with the sense of forebodingwhich accompanies the onset of a serious illness or theimpending death of a loved one. This solemn or evenfearful state of mind influences our thoughts, feelingsand behaviour. It is helpful if we understand that thephysical impact of these negative emotions can continueto affect us long after the events have become memories.

Unresolved issues, past hurts and traumatic experi-ences may all leave a mark on our minds, emotions, spir-its and bodies. These affect the way we interpret new oranticipated events and can lead to much distress in ourdaily lives and the lives of those close to us. This oftenresults from an inability to make sense of the situation orto understand why or how it could have happened or anunwillingness to accept the situation or its consequences.

We may mistakenly think that we can just ignorethe past, that the pain will just go away. We can active-ly try to forget things and only focus on all the goodthings for which we should be thankful. Still, the pastremains and haunting memories keep coming back.Normal exposure to specific sounds, events, behavioursor characteristics displayed by others may triggerunwanted memories and the attached emotions andseemingly irrational responses. Because our bodies (notjust our brains) store significant information, we mayphysically react to these triggers in our environmentwithout even knowing why. Anger, depression, anxietyand overly reactive emotions may all signal underlyingissues. When any pain is left untreated, it has thepotential to generate undesirable physiological, physi-cal, mental, emotional and behavioural reactions.Although we may think we have things under control,others may think differently; that instead, we are being

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L I V I N G W E L L

When the Past IntrudesKnow What to Expect, Know What to Do

by CLAUDETTE E. S. COOMBS

“When we are feeling fortunate, productive, comfortable, relaxed,

energetic or optimistic we are thriving on the effects of positive memories.”

L I V I N G W E L L

controlled by the past. Despite the fact that the traumais no longer a current entity, the memory of it hasbecome a physical reality capable of continuing tocause harm.

Why is this happening now?As children or as adults, when we are undergoing sig-nificant stress we are less able to process complexevents. After exposure to trauma we tend to rememberisolated details and emotion and our bodies often holdthat pain. Because of our limited abilities and the inten-sity of our reaction, it is not unusual to become over-whelmed. However, our brains may go into a protectivemode allowing us to continue functioning instead ofimmediately dealing with the consequences. That doesnot mean that we have forgotten the event or that itdoes not affect us. It merely means that we have areprieve while we take time to do other things likegrow up, get a job, establish a significant relationship orhandle a crisis. Eventually we have to face our past andfind a way to make sense of it. Only then can we learnto adjust emotionally, take any necessary action andfinally leave some of the pain behind.

Some past hurts can be handled relatively simply.Examining what happened and why, then decidingwhat can be learned from it, corrected, or put in placeto ensure that something similar isn’t repeated may beall that is needed. Other hurts are much more complexand require in-depth emotional work. The more perva-sive the impact, the more complicated the recoveryprocess becomes.

Recovery – What can help?There are things we can do to bring a sense of emotionalpeace and intellectual resolution to issues of our past.Each person may have different needs and may requirea different pathway to overcome the impact. Each per-son who takes on that challenge, also arrives at a pointwhen “it is time” to do something about the past. It isclear that things will not just go away and there is afrustration and resentment of the personal disruptionthat has been caused. This is an important decision-making point. It can potentially start the process ofreturning life to the individual’s control and introduc-ing a “new normal”.

Realistically exploring the negative memory in a safeenvironment with adequate support is crucial to beingable to readjust personal thoughts and behaviours. If asignificant trauma has interfered with normal function-ing, the guidance of an objective, qualified professionalmay be required.

When we have done what can be done to addresspast hurts, we must consciously decide to

accept the past as history, then start (or continue) tobuild a future. We must decide on our future goals,then work toward achieving them. As adults, we haveseen many injustices and felt the pain within ourselves.As teachers, we must care for our own injuries becausethere is so much at stake. Our present and future healthis at risk if we don’t take the time and action when it isneeded. We also can’t ignore the profession we havechosen and the influence we have in the lives of ourstudents. We have an opportunity to teach well beyondthe curriculum. From the basics of coping in a some-times hostile environment to overcoming the injusticeswe face, we can model an attitude of resilience. Each ofus can acknowledge that life has great potential for hap-piness and for pain. It is important to also acknowledgethat, following any experience, it is our approach to lifethat determines which of these we keep with us.

Claudette Coombs is an EAP Coordinator with theEmployee Assistance Program for teachers. For confidentialassistance contact Claudette Coombs (ext. 242) or MarieWall (ext. 265).



O N L O C A T I O N

In recent months teachers have requested that arti-cles re financial planning be included in TheBulletin. In our efforts to respond to the needs of

the membership, the following information has beenprepared on two of these topics. There will also be arti-cles included in future issues of The Bulletin as well.These articles were prepared by Mr. Dean MackeyCFP, CIM, FCSI, Partner/Advisor with ForecastFinancial Management, Tel: (709) 737-0044, Fax:(709) 737-0049, e-mail: [email protected] .

A 10 Year Answer to the Million Dollar QuestionThe table on the following page shows the significance ofmaintaining a strategy of investing regularly. However, itis also a compelling illustration of the importance ofinvesting early. The table depicts scenarios for two differ-ent investors – Early Elaine and Late Larry – each ofwhom earns an assumed annual return of 9%.

From age 25 to 34, Elaine makes RRSP contributionsof $3,000 each January. Over this ten-year period, shewill have invested a total of $30,000. Larry only beginsinvesting at age 35, contributing $3,000 to an RRSPeach January. For the next 35 years, he will have con-tributed a total of $105,000. However, at age 69, Elaine’saccount would be worth 40% more than Larry’s.

Building your financial independence is easier if youtake advantage of the time and power of compoundgrowth. So don’t approach RRSP investing by asking ifyou can afford to invest; rather ask yourself: “Can Iafford not to?”

9 Reminders During Market Downturns1. Stick with your long-term plan. Short-term marketfluctuations should not be a concern when you havea sound financial plan – one that includes a well-diversified portfolio to meet investment objectives inan appropriate time horizon.2. Look beyond today’s markets. No one can predictwhat the market will do and when, so think of it as astore – prices increase when demand is high, anddrop when demand is low. The long-term trend,

however, is up. 3. Don’t let media headlines distract you from yourplan. The media focus on market declines becausethese events get more attention than steady climbs.4. Avoid chasing the latest trends. Citing a U.S. exam-ple, “The average U.S. stock mutual fund posted a12.3 per cent annual return between 1984 and 1995.The average investor in such funds earned just 6.3 percent. This suggests that by jumping from one invest-ment to another, investors leave a lot of money on thetable.” (As reported in National Post, December 1999)5. Invest regularly. The benefit of dollar cost averag-ing, which enables you to spread out the average costper unit of buying mutual funds, is that it reduces therisk of buying at the wrong time.6. Remember that short-term success is often justthat: short. Short-term performance in some sectorsmay cause investors to be overly confident abouttheir investment abilities. Survey results from Money,a U.S. personal finance magazine, warn that investorstend to be overconfident about their investment abili-ties and far too optimistic about the prospect of con-tinuing returns. Almost a third of investors claimedtheir funds had beaten the market by at least five percent, and one-sixth of investors stated they had out-performed the market by more than 10 per cent.When actual performance was compared, it turnedout that 88 per cent of people had exaggerated theirreturns, with a quarter of those portfolios lagging theindex by at least 15 per cent. (As reported in NationalPost, January 2000)7. Accredited professionals are the best managers.Your portfolio is diversified among a number ofinvestments, managed by the most highly qualifiedportfolio managers. They spend 365 days a year try-ing their best to achieve top results. Their careers andtheir business depend on it.8. If your objectives haven’t changed, neither shouldyour investments. The investments in your portfoliowere purchased because they were compatible withyour long-term goals. So, unless your investment

14

M O N E Y M A T T E R S

Financial Management


M O N E Y M A T T E R S

Age

252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869

Totals

RRSP Contributions

$3,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,000–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

$30,000

MarketValue

$3,2706,83410,71914,95419,57024,60130,08536,06342,57949,68154,15259,02664,33870,12976,44083,32090,81998,992107,902117,613128,198139,736152,312166,020180,962197,248215,001234,351255,442278,432303,491330,805360,578393,030428,402466,958508,985554,793604,725659,150718,473783,136853,618930,4441,014,184

$1,014,184

Age

252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869

Totals

RRSPContributions

––––––––––$3,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,0003,000

$105,000

MarketValue

––––––––––$3,2706,83410,71914,95419,57024,60130,08536,06342,57949,68157,42265,86075,05885,08396,010107,921120,904135,055150,480167,294185,620205,596227,369251,103276,972305,169335,905369,406405,923445,726489,111536,401587,947644,132705,374

$705,374

Early Elaine Late Larry

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees andexpenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments.Please read the prospectus before investing. The indicated rate[s] ofreturn is [are] the historical annual compounded total return[s]including changes in [share or unit] value and reinvestment of all[dividends or distributions] and does [do] not take into accountsales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxespayable by any security holder that would have reduced returns.Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently andpast performance may not be repeated.

objectives have changed, there is no reason to strayfrom the equity mutual funds you’re invested in sim-ply because of a market correction.9. Diversification can help cushion the blow. A prop-erly diversified portfolio will limit any loss suffered byinvestors in a market correction. Financial Advisorsand their clients should review a portfolio’s weightingof equities, bonds and interest-bearing investments toensure that it suits the clients’ risk tolerance.


O N L O C A T I O N

Mr. John Staple, Director of Economic Serviceswith the Canadian Teachers’ Federation,recently addressed the NLTA Joint Council on

the above topic. The following is a summation of some ofthe major points in that presentation.

IntroductionTeachers exercise statutory rights to engage in collec-tive bargaining in all 13 Canadian jurisdictions. Whilethe Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protectsthe right to unionize, it does not guarantee the right tocollective bargaining or strike. The bargaining processhas become a highly politicized one in some jurisdic-tions, particularly those where governments are vigor-ously pursuing right-wing agendas. For the teacherorganizations affected this has meant a shift in the focusof bargaining objectives from compensation to rights.While teacher organizations operate under differentstructures and different legislation, they still face manycommon challenges in collective bargaining.

The following is an overview of what is currently hap-pening in teacher bargaining in Canada, and the kinds ofchanges that have occurred over the past ten years.

StructureThe pattern of teacher bargaining in Canada varies andcontinues to change. There has been a move over thepast decade to more centralized bargaining. For exam-ple, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union has agreed to aprocess that would move them from a two-tier to a sin-gle-tier bargaining system. Their local level bargainingwill be eliminated over time.

Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan andPrince Edward Island have also recently questioned thestructure of their bargaining. (For example: after anextremely troublesome round of negotiations in Albertaduring the 2001-02 school year, the Alberta Teachers’Association is giving serious consideration to a systemof centralized bargaining. PEITF, following some diffi-culty with their arbitration process, has also consideredseeking the right to strike.)

Most jurisdictions, after a particularly frustrating

round of bargaining, enter into some form of evaluationand assessment in an effort to determine what couldhave been done differently and what might be changedfor next time. Satisfaction with the process all hinges onthe outcomes of bargaining. A good round rarely acti-vates a review.

Dispute ResolutionApproaches to dispute resolution are similar across thecountry, with some differences on access to strike.Views vary over the right to strike. To many, it is whatepitomizes the labour movement, while others view it,more critically, as a tactic to apply pressure to break animpasse in bargaining.

ChangesThroughout the 1990’s, gains and expectations inteacher bargaining (in fact all public sector bargaining)were very low. That began to change when we turnedthe corner on a new decade, primarily because of theimproved economic conditions in most parts of thecountry. Since September 11, 2001 and the subsequenteconomic downturn, our economic recovery has beenmuch more positive than the USA, but slow nonethe-less. All of these factors have an impact on the processof bargaining and of how it is perceived by those itaffects. One of the trickiest issues in bargaining is toassess the gap between expectations and reality and tohave that gap as small as possible at the point when asettlement is imminent. Managing expectations is a bigpart of the role you all have to play in bargaining.

This seems obvious, but it needs to be said.Employers across the country in the public sector havebecome very successful in flexing their bargaining mus-cle. They now realize that under the right conditionsthey not only don’t have to give, but can actually takebenefits away, mostly with the help of legislative clout.

Strike action has been quite useful in achieving pub-lic sector bargaining objectives in the past. But in the1990’s, such actions have proven to be less so. In areaswhere they are a relatively new phenomenon, they tendto be more successful.

16

C O L L E C T I V E B A R G A I N I N G

Collective Bargaining

Environment & Outcomesby JOHN STAPLE


The bargaining process has unfortunately becomeless a problem-solving approach to determining theterms and conditions of employment, and more aprocess where the big decisions are based on economicsand politics and little else. Governments, under theright circumstances, have little or no compunctionabout taking unilateral action that in many instancesrenders collective bargaining rights dysfunctional. Nojurisdiction is immune when conditions are right.Suffice it to say that you now have to consider this fac-tor a permanent component of public sector bargaining.You also have to realize that there may be times whenyou might have to weigh the risks of pursuing a posi-tion against those of modifying that position to theextent that you come closer to, or get, a deal.

Current StrategiesThe country has gone from nearly 800 school boards inCanada in 1990 to around 470 today. The changes inthe employer make-up and the shift in financial anddecision-making power have had a tremendous impacton bargaining approaches.

We now have three of the biggest players, Ontario,British Columbia and Quebec with administratorsremoved from the teachers’ bargaining unit. That’s onlythree of 13 jurisdictions, but nearly 75% of the schooladministrators in the country.

Through government intervention, interest arbitration(i.e. the use of arbitration to settle a contract dispute) hasbeen severely biased, for example, by designating abilityto pay as a criterion, as happened in Manitoba andOntario. The scope of bargaining has also been narrowedby precluding arbitrators from considering such mattersas teacher evaluation, class size, teacher transfers, and thescheduling of recess and lunch periods (Manitoba) ordesignating teacher workload-related matters (e.g. prepa-ration time, extra-curricular activities, etc.) as manage-ment rights (Ontario). I’m happy to note that as a resultof a change in government in Manitoba, the situation hastaken a turn for the better. Most of the restrictions forarbitrators have been removed and just recently, govern-ment has agreed that the issues of class size and composi-tion can be taken to arbitration.

Interference with legitimate job action rights contin-ues to be a problem. For example, calls in Alberta andOntario for the removal of the right to strike, and recentessential services legislation in British Columbia.

Because of the financial implications and the link tooverall improvements in salary, workload items are dif-ficult to address and in most jurisdictions continue togo largely unresolved. The two most prominent areextra-curricular activities and class size.

The battle over extra-curricular activities is generatedlargely as a result of the profile it gets during job action



where teachers withdraw participation in voluntaryactivities. Teacher employers, annoyed by thisapproach, are attempting to nullify the impact by alter-ing the voluntary nature of teachers’ participation inextra-curricular activities.

Class size continues to be the barometer by whichwe measure the ability of teachers to provide studentswith quality educational experiences. Unfortunately,the debate in bargaining is played out in tandem withissues such as salaries, that compete for the sameresources and that take precedence in the final stages ofbargaining.

Governments in Canada, when speaking of educa-tion, often refer to what they claim to be the “needs ofthe public”. They use that “perception” of need to sup-port some of their arguments for changes to the publiceducation system. Flexibility and choice are words weoften hear when politicians are trying especially hard toappeal to the public for education “reform”. It is whatwe hear when issues such as charter schools, vouchersystems, tax rebates and increased managerial rights arebeing discussed. Three other key issues falling into thiscategory are: length of the school year, criminal recordschecks, and teacher appraisal and accountability. Thelatter item, in particular, is reflective of a growing pub-lic dialogue on the need for quality and accountabilityat all levels. Standardized testing, school ratings, teachercertification renewal, and compulsory professionaldevelopment all fall under this heading. It is an issuethat CTF is focusing on this year in order to establish aclear, cohesive direction our members can pursue atboth the policy and collective bargaining levels.

Salary will remain the biggest issue of contention inbargaining for some time. The experiences of theprovinces and territories in 2001-02 was varied. Thegreatest areas of difficulty were Alberta and BritishColumbia.

In Alberta, following double digit increases for nurs-es and doctors the government announced that 6%over two years would be set aside for teachers. TheAlberta Teachers’ Association brought as many localnegotiations as possible to a strike position at the sametime creating the impact of a provincial shutdown eventhough they bargain by school board. Government

responded with back-to-work legislation and anemployer-biased arbitration process to conclude settle-ments. Teachers went back to work but withdrew vol-untary services. The reaction toward government fromparents and students was very strong, and an arrange-ment satisfactory to teachers was soon reached.

In British Columbia, teacher expectations were alsoraised by double digit increases in the health sector andincreases for government members. Teachers, unable toconclude a deal, voted over 90% in favour of provincialstrike action. The BC government, in the most grosslyblatant denial of bargaining rights in some time, intro-duced “essential services legislation” to nullify the rightto strike. Before teachers could enter into any phase ofjob action, it had to be approved by the LabourRelations Board in compliance with the new legislation.This limited their job action activity to refusing toattend meetings or mark exams, etc., after schoolhours, refusing to sit on committees and withdrawingfrom extra-curricular activities. When the governmentdecided it could no longer put up with the “limited”level of job action permitted by that legislation, itimposed a settlement on salaries and also removedlong-standing elements of collective agreements, partic-ularly those related to workload.

ChallengesIt is important for you, as you build your opening pro-posals for the next round, to have a good understand-ing of the process. Realize what happens to thoseproposals as you move through the various stages ofbargaining. Be ever cognizant of the gap betweenexpectations and reality.

It’s essential that you be clear about your objectives.When you get to the bargaining table and you’re allinvolved in the process at various levels, it’s easy to losesight of what you initially set out to achieve. Manygroups go to the bargaining table with proposals thatbear little resemblance to the actual objectives. Manythings are included in the proposals that are not themain objectives but are items of somewhat lower priori-ty. However, sometimes the objectives are forgottenand the group becomes married to the positions. Asthey speak to, and defend the positions, they becomeconvinced that the positions are the objectives, and thereal objectives get lost among the lesser priority items.Always keep the objectives firmly in mind at all levelsand stages of the process.

Collective bargaining is the major focal point formost teachers vis-à-vis their Association. Good luck asyou begin your preparations for your next round ofnegotiations.

18


“Governments, under the right circum-stances, have little or no compunctionabout taking unilateral action that in

many instances renders collective bargaining rights dysfunctional.”

An opportunity to teach children about the true value of helping others.

Janeway DayJaneway Day very year, Janeway Day in the schools provides an opportunity for children in this province to help other children. In fact, since 1986, students and teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador have donated more than $657,000 to the Janeway. That’s something for us to be proud of!

Make sure you participate in Janeway Day 2003; here’s how:

Before February 14th... Announce the project and explain what’s involved. If possible spend some time discussing the Janeway Hospital with your class or havea student who has been a patient at the hospital tell classmates about the experience.

On February 14th... Ask students (and teachers) to forego the equivalent of recess monies for this one day. (That’s their donation to the Janeway.)

After February 14th... Principals should deposit the donations and write a cheque to their NLTA BranchPresident. Branch Presidents will then send a cheque to the NLTA (make out to “Janeway Day in the Schools Fund”) by February 28th.

Note: In order for teachers to receive a receipt, give your name, address, and amount of donation to the principal, who will forward this information to the NLTA.

* If you are sending your donations directly to The Janeway, please indicate on your cheque “Janeway Day in the Schools”.

FEBRUARY 14, 2003

Janeway Day in the Schools is an annual fundraising effort sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association in conjunction with the Newfoundland and Labrador School Boards Association. It is the only fundraising effort sponsored by the NLTA.


O N L O C A T I O N

On behalf of teachers throughout the province,the NLTA has submitted a brief to the RoyalCommission on Renewing and Strengthening

Our Place in Canada. That brief was provided to theCommission at its public hearing in Clarenville onNovember 26, at which time NLTA President WinstonCarter and I addressed the Commission.

The focus of the brief is on education as a key com-ponent of the province’s efforts to achieve prosperityand self-reliance, and on our education system as it isaffected by our economic situation and the arrange-ments with Canada which may contribute to perpetuat-ing that situation. It is the position of the NLTA thateducation is not a fiscal commodity, but a socialresponsibility and a necessary investment in our future.This responsibility lies not only with the province, butwith the country as a whole. Ranked by the UnitedNations as one of the best countries in the world inwhich to live, this country has a responsibility toensure, to the best of its ability, that an equitable levelof services is afforded to its citizens regardless of theprovince in which they live.

The Terms of Union of Newfoundland with Canadain 1949 mirrored Section 93 of the BNA Act, 1867 ingiving the provincial legislatures exclusive authority tomake laws in relation to education, subject to certainprovisions. Unfortunately, in making education aresponsibility of the provinces, the Constitution hasalso made the level of educational services dependentupon the fiscal resources of the individual provinces.That, in turn, has led to inequities in education servicesand programs that are exacerbated as differences in fis-cal ability become more pronounced.

Education is of prime importance in those provincesthat are trying to rise above their “have not” status inCanada, because the link between higher levels of edu-cation and better employment prospects, and betweenhigher levels of education and higher incomes, hasbeen demonstrated over and over. These links are evenmore significant in a province where unemploymentlevels are high and where job prospects in areas of

employment requiring lower levels of training are oftenseasonal at best. For example, recent data fromStatistics Canada show that for those with less thanGrade 9 in this country, 21% are employed, comparedto 66% of high school graduates and 77% of universitygraduates. There is a similar significant link betweeneducational attainment and level of income. Clearly, ina province where unemployment levels remain highand where job opportunities, while improving, still donot reach countrywide norms, education is paramount.

The NLTA brief notes that an important aspect ofany province’s “place in Canada” is a consideration ofthe public services which its government is able to pro-vide in relation to those available in the rest of thecountry. We should all recognize the reality that thereis a greater burden on smaller provinces with lesserfinancial ability as they attempt to offer equitable pro-grams and services to their citizens.

Recent statistics demonstrate that this province hadthe highest level of “educational burden” in 2000, asmeasured by examining elementary-secondary enrol-ments as a proportion of the employed labour force.School board enrolments in this province were equiva-lent to 44.6 percent of the employed labor force com-pared to 29.2 percent in Quebec and 32.3 percent asthe Canadian average. In the meantime, as a measure offinancial ability to pay for services such as education,Newfoundland and Labrador’s GDP per capita wasalmost 24 percent below the Canadian average.

The statistics also show that, when expenditure oneducation is expressed as a share of total governmentspending, this province is right in the middle of thepack. Unfortunately, while the share of total spendingis comparable, the actual expenditures per pupil aremuch lower than the Canadian average because the fis-cal resources of the provincial government are lower. In2000, the expenditures per student in this provincestood at just over 80 percent of the Canadian average,with this province’s expenditures being nearly $1,400less per student. Expressed another way, to meet theCanadian average expenditure per student, our

20

NLTA Submits Brief to

Royal Commissionby EDWARD HANCOCK


provincial government would have had to spend over$126 M more on education in 2000, based on our stu-dent population in that year.

The NLTA has consistently taken the position, anddid so again in this brief, that the federal governmenthas a key role to play here. We have advocated that,even with the fact of primary provincial responsibilityfor education, there is room within the federal/provin-cial schemes for sharing of resources for our federalgovernment to better assist the lesser able provinces inmeeting the funding needs for these crucial services.

Equalization of resources and services is a keyresponsibility of the federal government because theprinciple of equality is one of the major underpinningsof Canadian society. Fiscal arrangements in this coun-try must recognize the right of all citizens to equality ofopportunity as Canadians. The 1982 Constitution Actstates that the federal transfer program of equalization isintended to “ensure that provincial governments havesufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparablelevels of public services at reasonably comparable levelsof taxation”. At the present time, however, the equaliza-tion formula is punitive on provinces which areattempting to break their cycle of dependence by devel-oping their own non-renewable resources.

The federal government must recognize thatprovinces like Newfoundland and Labrador areexpending all they bring in simply to maintain theirpresent basic levels of service. At the same time, taxrates are among the highest in the country. The currentequalization formula must change to allow the provinceto develop its resources without a loss in equalization.Otherwise, it is unlikely that we will ever realize com-parable levels of service in education or health or otherpublic services, because government revenues cannotbe improved to any substantive degree.

There is a clear and undeniable link between eco-nomic development and government’s ability to pro-vide the services that people require. This provincemust be afforded the ability to make some real financialgains from development of its resources, financial gainsthat are not clawed back by the concurrent reduction inequalization payments.

It is essential then, that the federal and provincialgovernments revisit the present equalization program.A good place to start would be with the recommenda-tions of the recent Senate Report on Equalization, recom-mendations that would restore the original standard fordetermining equalization entitlements, and wouldincrease the proportion of equalization levels thatwould remain protected when a province increases itsrevenues from non-renewable resources.

In the conclusion of its brief, the Association recom-mended that:

• the provincial government continue its efforts withthe other provinces to have the equalization programrevisited so as to better support and assist attempts atdevelopment in underdeveloped provinces;• the Government of Canada implement the recom-mendations of the Senate Report on Equalization, partic-ularly with the aim of providing improved support andassistance to provincial efforts for increasing revenuesthrough the development of non-renewable resources;• the provincial government continue to recognize thevital importance of education for our citizens and forour economic well-being, and to ensure that educationreceives the highest possible priority as provincial bud-gets are developed; and• the Government of Canada establish a National Officeof Education to coordinate the activities of the federalgovernment in education and to oversee the necessaryliaison and cooperation with the provinces.

Ed Hancock is the Executive Director of the NLTA.

21


Ithink the teacher’s calling is, indeed, a noble profes-sion and one worthy of the finest ability. Theteacher is called upon to pass onto the youth the

torch of civilization. She administers the foundation ofour culture, and is privileged to sow in the souls of herpupils the seed that will germinate and grow and pro-duce fruit a hundred-fold for this life and the hereafter.

What St. John Chrysostom says about the teacher ingeneral is true of her in particular: “There is no painter,there is no sculptor or artist that can be compared tothe man who knows how to form the minds and heartsof the young.”

Teachers are foster fathers and mothers of the chil-dren and there is no class of workers of which wedemand so much. We commit into their keeping theminds, the bodies, and the very souls of the childrenduring the tender and formative years of their lives; andthey, receiving these children can indeed, be said tohold in their hands the future of our country.

To the “would be” teachers, the eloquent words ofDaniel Webster may mean even more than the oratorever dreamed of: “If we work upon marble, it will per-ish; upon brass, time will efface it; but if we work uponimmortal souls, if we imbue them with principles withthe just fear of God and love of our fellowmen, weengrave on those tablets something which will brightento all eternity”.

The teacher either makes or mars the school. Thebuilding is merely the shell. Textbooks are merelytools. Charts, maps, blackboards and other teachingequipment are merely aids. But the prime factor for thesuccess or the failure of the school is the spirit and per-sonality of the teacher.

Most teachers do not consider work or wages; theyteach because they love children, and working withthem brings contentment and happiness. Mr. JohnDixon, school superintendent of Columbus, Wisconsinexpressed his reasons for teaching in a prize essay. Hesays, and I quote: “I like teaching because I like boysand girls, because I delight in having them with me, intalking with them and in possessing their confidence

and affection. I like teaching because the teacher worksin an atmosphere of idealism, dealing with souls andheart and ideals. I like teaching because of the largefreedom it gives. There is abundance of room for origi-nal planning and initiative in the work itself, and anunusual time margin of evenings, weekends, and vaca-tions in which to extend one’s interest, personal or pro-fessional. I like teaching because the relation of theteacher with learner in whatever capacity, is one of themost interesting and delightful in the world. Teachingis attractive because it imposes a minimum of drudgery.Its day is not too long, and is broken by intermissions,and so varied in its schedule of duties, as to excludeundue weariness or monotony. The program of eachschool day is a new and interesting venture.”

There is no work in which men and women engagewhich more directly and fundamentally serves societyand the state. Teaching is the biggest and best profes-sion in the state because it creates and moulds thenation’s citizens. It is the very foundation and mainstayof our national life.

I would now like to quote a poem by an anonymouswriter. This, I believe, summarizes the nobility andChrist-like character of the teaching profession.

Like the master mind, the zealous teacher stands.Before each pliant child, to train both heart and hands.She leads each tender soul with true maternal grace,Along the devious paths which knowledge doth embrace.

Great is the teacher’s task of moulding youthful hearts,Bestowing on each soul the case that love imparts.Strive on, preceptor true, in ways Our Saviour trod.Lead every tender child, unto the Heart of God.

This article was written by June Bennett, a Grade 11student at Presentation High School in St. John’s. It wasfeatured in the December 1957 edition of the “NTA Journal”and resubmitted by Dan Norman of Gambo.

22

What the Students Think

My Idea of a Teacherby JUNE BENNETT

“Teachers are thefoster fathers and

mothers of thechildren and there isno class of workersof which we demand

so much.”

OUR ROOTS, OUR FUTURE: EXPERIENCING CANADA’S NATIONALHISTORIC SITES IN THE CLASSROOM

Our Roots, Our Future: Experiencing Canada’sNational Historic Sites in the Classroomteacher’s guide, plus a video, Places in Time,is now available free of charge from ParksCanada, in English or French, to teacherswho subscribe.

Our Roots, Our Future: ExperiencingCanada’s National Historic Sites in theClassroom will help you to enrich your histo-ry curriculum. Presented in a standard for-mat and reviewed by practising historyteachers, the activities help students under-stand how nationally significant places, peo-ple, and events interacted to create the storyof Canada’s past. Based on the history curric-ula taught in Grades 5 to 10 across Canada,the activities explore: Canada’s dynamic cul-tural and natural heritage; connectionsbetween the land, the waters, the past andthe people; how the national historic sites areconnected to the places, people, and eventsthat define Canada; the responsibility allCanadians have for these powerful symbolsof the past; the stories of our land and thestories of our people; and defining momentsin Canadian history.

The video Places in Time offers anoverview of some of the key sites of nationalhistoric significance in many provinces andterritories. It tells the story of the visions anddreams of a broad range of Canadians andhow they have been made real throughoutour country’s history. Fifty-seven nationalhistoric sites and two world heritage sites areshowcased. The script and list of national his-toric sites featured in this video are availablein the Places in Time section.

The Teacher’s Guide and video script forthe Places in Time video are now available onthe Parks Canada Web site. If you prefer touse the Web version of this Teacher’s Guideand would like to receive only the Places inTime video, please note this on the subscrip-tion form.

To subscribe, contact the Parks Canadaweb site at www.parkscanada.gc.ca.

PLASTICS IN-CLASS

The Environment and Plastics IndustryCouncil (EPIC), has developed a number ofeducational tools to assist teachers in a funand interactive way. To learn more aboutthese tools contact the Environmental andPlastics Industry Council, 5925 Airport Road,Suite 500, Mississauga, ON, L4V 1W1, Tel:905-678-7748; www.plastics.ca/teachers orwww.plastics.ca/epic.


I N T E R N E T / B O O K S / V I D E O S

RESOURCES

Editor’s Choice for Resources on the Web

http://estat.statcan.caE-STAT, Statistics Canada’s interactive learning tool, contains new features that make iteven more user-friendly and versatile for students and teachers.

E-STAT 2002 combines a wealth of socio-economic data with a new dynamic multi-dimensional access that makes finding information easier than ever. Students can accessselected articles from Statistics Canada publications such as the Canada Year Book 2001,Canadian Social Trends, health reports, the content of Human Activity and the Environment2000, the Graphical Overview of the Criminal Justice Indicators, and much more.

For the teacher, E-STAT contains a host of curriculum-relevant activities developed byeducators specifically for senior elementary and up. Easy to use, thorough and dynamic,E-STAT is a stimulating teaching and learning resource that spurs students on to discoverCanada – past, present and even future.

A SIGH AND A WISH, SPIRIT AND SONGJanuary 30-31, 2003Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The Kodaly Societyof Nova Scotia, in cooperation with theKodaly Society of Canada, presents “A Sighand a Wish, Spirit and Song”. This workshopfor music educators, features clinicians fromacross Canada including Dr. Carol Beynon,co-conductor of the award winning AmabileBoys Choirs, Denise Gagne, music publisherand author of Musicplay, Jerry Kerlin,Associate Professor in the Department ofMusic, University of Calgary, and DirectorPamela Burton of the Halifax Boys HonourChoir. For information contact Faith Daley,7119 Mumford Road, Halifax, NS, B3J 2J5,[email protected], Tel: 902-832-8983.

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION SIC AGMApril 10-11, 2003Battery Hotel, St. John’s. Contact Chris Mills,Tel: 709-466-7559 (s), [email protected];or Gary Walsh, Tel: 709-463-2283 (s),[email protected].

“THE FUN OF READING” INTERNATIONAL FORUM ONCANADIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATUREJune 26-29, 2003Ottawa, ON. To strengthen mutual under-standing and create opportunities forcooperation among those committed tochildren’s literature, the conference willgather together – for the first time – all thepartners whose efforts support our literaturefor young people: writers, illustrators,storytellers, translators, publishers, teachers,librarians, booksellers, young Canadianreaders and their families, Canadian literaturespecialists from Canada and other countries,literacy groups, policy-makers and the media.Keynote speakers and illustrators will beannounced on the conference web page atwww.nlc-bnc.ca/1/7/n7-3100-e.html. Forinformation contact Dominique Groulx,Logistics and Liaison Officer, InternationalForum on Canadian Children’s Literature,Tel: 613-992-2483, Fax: 613-943-1939,[email protected].

January 2003Jan 15 Deadline: Barnes and Bancroft

Award NominationsJan 16 Deadline: Professional

Development Fund applications

Jan 17-18 NLTA Executive MeetingJan 23 Deadline: Proposed changes,

amendments or repeal of by-laws for BGM 2003 must bereceived at NLTA office bythis date

February 2003Feb 1 Deadline: Applications for

Educational Leave - teachersmust make prior applicationto school board

Feb 14 Janeway Day in the SchoolsFeb 20 NLTA Executive MeetingFeb 21-22 Joint Council MeetingFeb 23 Deadline: Nominations for

offices of President and Vice-President must be postmarkedby this date for inclusion inConvention Bulletin

Feb 23 Deadline: All remainingmaterial for ConventionBulletin (nominations forProvincial Executive, resolu-tions for BGM, branchdelegates and branch alter-nates’ names) must bepostmarked by this date forinclusion in ConventionBulletin

Dates to Remember

N L T A

ChristmasHours

Please be advised that the NLTABuilding will be closed from

December 21st to January 1st (inclusive) to allow staff to enjoy

the holiday season.

Education Week2003

March 2-8

Many Places, Many Faces,

One Spirit

Visages et parcours divers Esprit solidaire

Education Week 2003 resourcematerials will be mailed toschools in the new year

vol. 46/no. 3 december 2002

Documents