Bag 9, Okotoks, Alberta T01 1T0
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Singin' songs of the Foothills
Popular country and folk musician Nathan
Tinkham returns home to perform in front of a large audience at the Flare 'n Derrick
in Turner Valley on Oct. 23 as part of the community's Beneath the Arch concert series.
photo by Gillian Beckett
Enrolment in language dramatically declining
By Gillian Beckett
Staff Reporter
Due to declining interest in French courses in Foothills high schools, the Foothills School Division board will not be seeking membership with the Alberta School Boards' Association for Bilingual Education (ASBABE) this year.
The ASBABE is an association which focuses its resources on providing support for French language programs as well as other international and aboriginal language programs to be taught in schools within Alberta.
However, the unanimous decision was made during the board's regular meeting held on Oct. 20 following discussion of a letter which was sent by the ASBABE requesting the division's membership.
'What is the appetite for bilingualism in this district?' asked trustee Dean Cowling. 'Is there a need for additional language programs here?'
According to division superintendent David Lynn and other board trustees, there isn't a need for bilingual programs at this time.
'The enrolment in high school language immersion programs is declining considerably,' explained Lynn.
'There is an obvious concern in the 20 per cent drop in (high school) enrolment for language immersion courses,' added division chairperson Carolyn Kaiser. 'We're finding that students who are taking French in Grades 3-9 want to take other courses when they get to high school.'
'I'm not sure we have a large ethnic group in this area,' said Kaiser. 'The numbers are very small.'
Associate superintendent Jay Pritchard agreed with Kaiser.
'We have about three families in the Foothills who have children in French immersion programs,' explained Pritchard. 'The numbers are drastically low in high schools.'
While it was agreed that the board will not take out a membership with the ASBABE, the board hopes that more interest in second language studies will be stirred within high schools.
'Until we feel there is a need (for language immersion programs) in the future, we will (not) look into joining (ASBABE),' said Kaiser.
By not joining the ASBABE, the effect of not endorsing second language programs will be spread across the Foothills board.
Collision sends three motorists to hospital
By Gillian Beckett
Staff Reporter
Three motorists are lucky to be alive following a horrific two-vehicle collision at the Highway 2A and Highway 7 junction on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
According to Okotoks RCMP, a Dodge Ram pickup truck was heading westbound on Highway 7 when it collided with an ADT Securities mini van which was heading south out of Okotoks on Highway 2A at around 8:50 am.
According to eye-witness accounts, the collision impact sent the mini van into the left-side ditch on the south side of Highway 7.
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Although weather conditions that morning were clear and sunny and road conditions were dry, the driver of the mini van failed to stop at the stop sign at the junction, said Okotoks RCMP Cst. Sharon Franks who is in charge of the investigation.
Okotoks RCMP, Foothills Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Okotoks Fire Unit and STARS Air Ambulance were immediately called to the scene.
Jeffrey Lynch, 39, of Calgary who was the lone occupant of the mini van was rushed to the Foothills Hospital by STARS Air Ambulance with serious head injuries.
The two occupants of the pickup truck, Alessio Degiusti, 39, and Linda Plummer, 37, of the rural Calgary area were taken to the High River Hospital by Foothills EMS where they were treated for minor back and neck injuries and released that afternoon.
It was noted that upon impact, Degiusti and Plummer were wearing seatbelts and that the airbags did deploy in the pickup truck.
It remains unknown whether or not Lynch was wearing a seatbelt at the time of collision.
'Lynch remains in stable condition at the Foothills Hospital in the intensive care unit,' said Franks.
As the matter is still under investigation, it is not known whether or not charges will be laid in connection with this incident.
