Across Ontario, the academic prowess of schools is being compared and contrasted based on provincial tests in certain subjects. Only one school in Northern Ontario cracked the top 100 of 725 secondary schools across Ontario. In Algoma there was one school ranked in the 200s, and the rest in the 500s. Two schools in Toronto have been noted for their …
The meaning of oral
What’s with the oral fixation? Any parent with a child in Grade 4 and up is currently facing the dreaded oral presentation unit of the class curriculum. For the Grade 4s it is destined to be three to five minutes of their best knee-knocking, voice-quivering speech in front of the class, with no props or visual aids. My concern is …
Parks, scenery, adventures abound in trip around Lake Superior
This morning, from Sleeping Giant Provincial Park near Thunder Bay, as the loon beckoned to us from somewhere across the lake, I couldn’t help but think that there is a real upside to the lower population density in the North and the character attribute of Canadians not being boastful. We set off on our trip around Lake Superior, without having …
Back to school reality
As the summer sets on the horizon, I’m trying to repress thoughts of purchasing school supplies, packing lunches, and fighting with the kids to practice their music. Entering any store makes it near impossible to ignore the back to school reality, so I bit the bullet and bought a more expensive knapsack for my daughter. Every time I turned around …
Know the rules before riding away on your bicycle
A 76-year-old man was recently charged with driving a bicycle on a sidewalk after he was struck by a motorist. Can we assume that he knew it was called a sidewalk and not a sideride? Is this a question of a lack of knowledge or breaking the law knowingly? Should the motorist also be considered in this equation? Following the …
When your relationship with food is no longer healthy, get help
I don’t often read the advice column, but recently a headline of the Ask Amy column caught my eye: Anorexic worries parents by refusing treatment. The column was about a young adult “not ready to make a recovery from this disorder,” choosing anorexia as “the lifestyle I want right now” and tired of her parents’ “nagging.” The denial of the …
Credibility suffers when people use the wrong homophone
If I were Queen Elizabeth II, I would make my legacy a campaign reinforcing the importance of written communication skills, as “her” English is being mutilated daily. I’m not referring to the lack of eloquence, nor am I delving into dwindling vocabularies wrought with management-speak. Grammar is my focus today; specifically, my homophonia (or fear of the incorrect use of …
Take the byte out of bullying and be glad our antics weren’t documented
With anti-bullying day recently behind us, I have to wonder if we’ve really achieved all that much in light of a story I heard recently. Here’s the story: a mother was called by her daughter’s teacher about an emergency with her daughter. Mom was panic-stricken, but the school told her not to worry as her daughter was not hurt. Mom …
There is glamour and magic in the memories of our youth
Today is my son’s birthday; he’s five years old. Five is so young, but so old at the same time. He’s changed so much. I’m already missing things about his “youth.” I miss the way his head used to fit against my shoulder so perfectly as a baby. I miss the way he used to say “ephelant,” “Indy Nana Jones,” …
Allow children to take safe risks, but protect them from great harm
What would you do if your young teenager asked you to let him or her sail around the world? Me, I’d say no. Recently, we heard of a 16-year-old girl who had to be rescued from her attempt to navigate the globe alone, at a great cost to perhaps everyone except her parents. Now, a 14-year-old has been given the …