34 - Friday, Novewber 28, 1986 - North Shore News

TWO TRAVELLING com-
puter labs are helping to ini-
tiate West Vancouver School
District students into writing
for the 21st century.

By OLGA RUSKIN
Contributing writer

The computer labs, each with 15
Apple 2E computers and a printer,
are making the rounds of the 11
West Van elementary schools (now
including Bowen Island) for a
six-week stay.

During this period students will
be using a software program called
the Milliken Writing Workshop,
which guides them through the en-
tire writing process broken down
into the three categories of pre-
writing, writing and editing. Some
of the features of this software
program include a spelling checker
with a dictionary, a check for
over-used words, grammatical
mistakes and. sentence structure
mistakes.

What has been the reaction of
students using the computer-based
writing program? ‘‘They’re finding
it a lot.of work,’’ explains district
computer coordinator, Peter Min-
shull. ‘It takes quite a bit of time
because the program is very
thorough. But it results in the
quality of writing being better.
Kids are willing to revise many
times because they see how easily
changes can be made.’’ :

Minshull would rather not have
the need for travelling computer
labs but it’s a way the school
district copes with a shortage of
computers in the classroom until
its five-year computer plan, begun
in 1985, can be completed.

In the current school year each
of the three high schools has one
lab of 30 computers with three to
six printers, and in the elemeniary
schools, at least three resident
computers and a printer.

But West Van’s five-year plan
calls for elementary schools to
have a ratio of two computers per
class. Additional computers are
required at the high school level
for subjects other than computer
science. ‘‘We’re about 100 com-
puters short of what our plan calls
for in 1986/87,” says Minshull.
‘“*Money for the computers has
come from the schoo! district and
fund-raising activities by elemen-
tary and high school parents.
Because of the provincial gov-
ernment’s restraint policy, there is
no money for the purchase of new
equipment, which falls under the
capital part of the budget.

The provincial government,
however, has begun to share in the
cost of providing a computer pro-
gram by granting $130,000 through
the Fund for Excellence. Because
of the personnel! and software costs
involved, ‘‘this does not leave
anything for the purchase of com-
puter hardware,’’ explains Min-
shull.

“Having computers in the
classroom to be widely used by
students is no frill. Computers in-
fluence every field of work. If stu-
dents graduate and don’t know
how to use a computer, they will
be at a disadvantage in competing
with other provinces and coun-
tries,’’ he said.

$300 Per Child

If you qualify, your cheque is in the mail.

Who Qualifies?

You'll automatically receive an advance payment of $300 per child if
you meet the following conditions:
@ Your net family income in 1985 was $15,000 or less,
© You have a dependent child or children who will be under 18 years of age
on December 31, 1986,

® You received a child tax credit this year for that child or those children.

Why is the government doing this?

‘The advance payment, a part of the child tax credit, is designed to
assist over 750,000 low-income families with children. Among other
things, it will reduce the pressure on thesé families to discount their child
tax credit cheque.

‘What about the rest of my credit?

‘To receive the rest of your 1986 child tax credit simply fill out the child
tax credit form on your 1986 income tax return. The maximum credit per
child is $454.00, up from $384.00 in 1985.

And if I don’t qualify for the advance payment?

If you received Family Allowance for a child or children this year, you
may still be eligible for a maximum or partial credit. To find out, simply fill -
out the Child Tax Credit form on your 1986 income tax return.

For more information

See the insert in your November Family Allowance cheque or contact
your nearest district taxation office. (The number and address are in the
government pages of your telephone book).

Revenue Canada Revenu Canada A Health and
Taxation impot

Canadit

Santé et Bien-étre
Welfare Canada __ social Canada