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Redwood Acres Students Pause For
Remembrance Day Celebrations |
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On November 9th, at
Redwood
Acres
Public School
, teachers and students recognized the contributions of our Canadian War
Veterans. Grade 4 students hosted the Remembrance Day ceremony, with
contributions from the school choir. Student poetry was shared, and a
slide show was presented demonstrating the significance of the poppy. The
ceremony concluded with Grade 4 students singing their rendition of John
Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change”. |
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A traditional laying of the wreaths took place at
Redwood
Acres
Public School
on November 9th. Each class created wreaths for their Remembrance Day
service, which were displayed during the ceremony. Pictured on the left
are grade 5 students, Ryan Faubert and Joselyn Foley. On the right, is
grade 5 student Kara Bangs with her stepfather, Butch Ouimette. |
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Grade 4 students Jordan Martel (left) and Tamika LeBreton
(right) led Redwood Acres P.S. in their Remembrance Day service on
November 9th. They are pictured here following the traditional
wreath laying. |
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Bishop
Alexander Carter Students Have A Unique Experience As Parents for
Two Days |
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The 23 students enrolled in the Grade 11 Open
Parenting Class at Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School
took part in a “Baby Think It Over” program during the month of
December that gave them all a rude awakening into the challenges of
raising a baby.
Their teacher, Lori
Roy, had them take part in a three day – two night parenting simulation
thanks to the generous cooperation of Our Children Our Future who loaned
RealBaby simulators for the experiment. Each of the simulators is valued
at over $1000 and each was programmed to act just as a real baby would
act. All of the RealBabies were programmed differently so that each baby
was unique. Some were quiet and well behaved, while others cried more than
usual with irregular sleep patterns.
Each of the baby
simulators recorded the feeding, changing, neglect, rough handling, and
failure to support the baby’s head during the experiments. Each student
had an ID bracelet around their wrist that monitored the care. RealBaby
schedules were based on infant test babies so that they mimicked the care
needed by an actual baby as closely as possible. The students were
required to get up during the evening every two hours or more for feeding
and to take care of crying babies. Many of the participants noted that at
the end of the three days and two nights they were totally exhausted. They
also noted that the baby occupied their entire day, even while in school,
and that they could not “get away” from the responsibility for taking
care of their baby.
Some of the students
vowed that it would be a very long time before they had a baby of their
own now that they had a better understanding of the responsibilities. Many
of them indicated that it was difficult dealing with the stress of caring
for their simulated baby and the lack of sleep elevated their already
frazzled nerves. When their babies began crying during class, on the bus
ride home, or in the cafeteria, they had to deal with angry students who
were not all that compassionate about the noises being made by the baby.
The program was
intended to give students a first-hand look at some of the adjustments
they would have to make if they ever had a baby before they were ready.
The students concluded that it is very important for them to stabilize
their own life and careers before bringing in another infant who would
severely complicate their life plans.
They also seemed to appreciate the stress that their own parents
went through in raising them and many indicated that they now understood
the pressures their parents were facing as they were dealing with
“teenagers” like themselves.
They all felt that the
program was very useful, but some indicated that they would not want to
repeat the experiment any time soon.
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LA
PREMIER NOEL Concert Provided To French Immersion Students From
Confederation and
Valley
View
Public School
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Mme Helene
Berthiaume, 3rd from the left in the back row of the photo, is
not afraid to demonstrate her passion for francophone culture! As
the Program Leader for French Immersion at
Confederation
Secondary School
, she tries to demonstrate to the students that it is much easier to
master the language when you incorporate some of the positive elements of
the French way of life into your own.
This year Mme
Berthiaume and the nearly 90 French Immersion students from the school
organized the Second Annual REVEILLON celebration, entitled “LE PREMIER
NOEL”. The group in the photo provided the entertainment for a concert
that was held in the gym on December 14, 2007 for all of the French
Immersion students from Grades 4 and up at Valley View Public School as
well as for all of the immersion students at Confederation. During the
intermission the audience was provided with snacks and refreshments
prepared by the students. Students of the program were responsible for all
aspects of the concert, from the set up to the entertainment to the
cooking and clean-up. It was a wonderful experience for everyone.
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27th
Annual Confederation Christmas Is Giving Food Drive A Tremendous
Success |
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Over 200 students from Confederation Secondary School took time
off from their classes for two hours on December 12 to hit the streets of
Valley East and Capreol. They were taking part in the 27th
Annual “Christmas Is Giving”
Food Drive
and the results were spectacular!
A total of 2400 food
items, including one hundred 10 lb bags of potatoes donated by Valley
Growers was collected and distributed to the Good Neighbours Food Bank of
Hanmer and the Capreol Lions to be given out to needy families during the
Christmas season.
In addition to the food
items, the staff of Confederation donated another $470 to purchase turkeys
for the nearly two hundred hampers that will be prepared thanks to the
efforts of the students.
Steven
McAnulty, Minister of Public Relations in the Confederation Student
Parliament, is shown making the presentation to representatives from both
groups. From the left we have Margaret Bourgeois and Anne Unwin of the
Good Neighbours Food Bank, Steven McAnulty, and then we have Ken Gustafson
and Earl Kent of the Capreol Lions Club.
In
the background are some of the other members of the Ministry of Public
Affairs. From the left: Evgena Auge, Devon Labelle, Shannyn Falcioni,
Miranda Fowler, and Mel Thomas.
Patricia Miller and
Cynthia Farrar, the two staff advisors to the Ministry of Public
Relations, both congratulated the members of the ministry as well as all
of the students and staff of
Confederation
Secondary School
for coming though once again to help brighten up this time of year for so
many less fortunate families in our community. They also extended their
sincere thanks to the people in
Valley East
and Capreol who so generously donated to the students this year.
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Kristina
Foulem “Just Likes To Write Songs” |
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It
was on Christmas Eve that Kristina Foulem’s passion for music was
kindled and ever since then the talented 13 year old, Grade 8 student at
Marymount
Academy
has been writing and singing.
“My
friend, Kayla Bianchin and I were outside on Christmas Eve and we were
getting cold, so went inside the house and decided to make up a song. Ever
since than I have been writing songs and putting them to music,”
explained Kristina who has recorded two of those songs onto a CD with the
hope that they will one day be heard over the local airwaves.
Her
mother, Joanne, is especially proud of what her daughter has accomplished,
“She wrote one of the songs for me when she saw how I was struggling
with my Police Foundations program. It took me 2 ½ years to complete the
program and I thought of quitting at times. She wrote a song called,
‘Never Give Up’ which inspired me to finish the course and now in
January 2008 I will be heading to the
Policy
Academy
in
Aylmer
before starting my new career with the OPP.”
In the photo Kristina is shown while recording one of her songs in
the Lions Community Heritage Sound Studio at
Confederation
Secondary
School
.
Launched in 2005 with a generous donation from the Ontario Trillium Fund
to the Valley East Lions Club, the studio continues to evolve, giving
local musicians an opportunity to create not-for-profit musical
recordings.
The Lions Community
Heritage Sound Studio was made possible by forming a unique partnership
between the Valley East Lions Club and Rainbow District School Board.
The recording studio consists of a soundproof booth and panels as well as
upgraded recording software and computer hardware.
The Valley East Lions
Club recently donated 11 sets of recording industry-standard headphones to
be used by students during editing and mixing.
Rainbow
District
School
Board has provided $10,000 to purchase a class set of Pro-Tools audio
workstations to record and mix music.
Dena Morrison, Chair of
the Rainbow District School Board commented, “This sound studio
represents not only an opportunity for students to learn about the
recording process, but also the chance to be part of creating a permanent
record of the cultural history of our community. On a broader scale,
it will also provide opportunities for people in surrounding communities
to further their musical expertise.”
Confederation
Secondary
School
Principal Mike Mirka added, “
Confederation
Secondary
School
has a vibrant music program. Our Evolutionary Band, under the direction of
music teacher Norm McIntosh, has received national recognition.
Having access to a state-of-the-art recording studio is enabling our
students to share their musical abilities with a broader audience. More
importantly, it is giving them a unique hands-on learning experience in
the ever-growing field of technology.” |
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Suzie
McNeil Drops In On Evolutionary Band To Surprise One of Her Biggest
Fans |
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It was just a normal practice session for
Confederation’s Evolutionary Band after school on Wednesday, October 26.
Courtney Tattersall, shown in the photo above, one of the senior lead
singers on the band had just completed performing a song with her band
that was originally recorded by Suzie McNeil. After the song, Music
director, Norm McIntosh, asked Courtney to tell the rest of the group why
she liked that song so much. Courtney was more than happy to express her
love of the young rock star and proceeded to explain to the rest of the
band how much she enjoyed her music.
At that point, Mr. McIntosh, who has been known for shocking the bank with
guests dropping in to see them during rehearsals, said, “Well, Courtney,
if you like her music so much, why don’t you tell Suzie McNeil herself
just how you feel.”
Then, to the total surprise of everyone in the room,
out of the darkness stepped Courney’s idol, Suzie McNeil herself. After
Courtney recomposed herself, McNeil asked Courtney to join her in singing
the song that she had just performed so beautifully in front of the star.
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Throughout the years Suzie McNeil has accumulated an
impressive array of musical accomplishments and has performed with some of
the top stars in the business, even appearing in front of a crowd of over
200,000. She received much acclaim at the end of 2005 when she was the
last woman standing on CBS
Television’s reality series Rockstar:INXS.
In
the spring of 2007 she released her first CD “Broken and Beautiful”
and this fall she worked with
Bell
Canada
to produce an Olympics inspired video of her hit song, “Believe”,
which is being considered as the possible “theme song” for the 2008
Winter Games being held in
Vancouver
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Suzie talked to the
band for a while, signed some autographs and then headed off to the Grand
Theater for an evening performance in
Sudbury
.
For Courtney Tattersall, it will likely be remembered as a defining
moment in her singing career, performing with her favourite, Suzie McNeil,
live on the set of Evolutionary. Before she left, Suzie told the band that
what she has learned from being a performer is that “the energy you put
out there is the energy you get back”. She encouraged the high school
students to adopt that philosophy in everything they do. Before she left
Suzie signed the autograph board for 2007 with the message: “Continue
the Evolution Revolution”. |
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Principal
For A Day Program Has Many Benefits For All Participants |
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For Chris Scagnetti, President of Saturn
of Sudbury, shown standing on the right, the opportunity to become
“Principal For A Day” at
Pinecrest
Public School
in Val Therese was something “I just couldn’t pass up.”
Others in the photo
with him include “the real principal, Jacques Mantha, along with three
Grade 7 students who were enjoying a very interesting discussion with Mr.
Scagnetti about possible careers in the automotive industry. The students,
from the left included Cody Boileau, Jesse Dordevic, and Jesse Lampsa.
“The primary purpose of the Principal for a Day program is to
link schools with the communities that they serve,” says Rainbow
District School Board Chair Dena Morrison. “Community leaders will spend
the day learning about the multiple roles that school principals play,
from instructional leadership to the management of school facilities. In
the process, they will gain a better understanding of what¹s happening in
Rainbow Schools.”
“Our community is
keenly aware that we need an excellent educational system to prepare our
future workforce,” says Director of Education Jean Hanson. “By
engaging community leaders in public education, we hope to mobilize the
expertise and resources of our community to develop powerful partnerships
to improve learning opportunities for students in Rainbow Schools. We want
to give community leaders as realistic a view as possible of a day in the
life of a
Principal.”
“At Saturn we’ve
been involved in many youth-oriented initiatives that have been designed
to provide children with safe places to play and enjoy the experiences
that are part of growing up,” explained Scagnetti. “We sponsor
projects like Saturn Kidspace that improve playground facilities and we
take part in the “Ugliest Schoolyard Contest” which was actually won
by Pinecrest last year. Because they won the first place prize, Pinecrest
is receiving a $20,000 landscaping upgrade.”
Scagnetti himself is
part of a very active family. He and his wife are raising two sons who are
involved in hockey and numerous other school-based activities. “The more
my children get involved, the more I realize how fortunate I was to grow
up at a time when there seemed to be money for everything. Our parks,
arenas, recreation facilities were all pretty well new when I was young
and we all spent hours every day on outdoor rinks, riding our bikes in
parks and just enjoying our youth. Today, children have many more
technological advantages that we didn’t have, but I find that their
outdoor-based activities are limited.
That is why Saturn is focusing its efforts on improving these
outdoor facilities and promoting the development of playgrounds and parks.
Chris Scagnetti pointed
out that initiatives such as the “Principal For A Day” program go a
long way to establishing the kind of positive relationship that is going
to be needed by our schools and our young people in the future. “If we
are truly going to help our children get the most out of their education,
then more and more of us from the private sector are going to have to step
forward and provide the necessary support to our school programs. Spending
a day in the school like this convinces me that anything I can do to help
is well worth the investment in our future.” |
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Family
Literacy Night At
Redwood
Public School
Promotes Writing Skills
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Kellie
MacKenzie, one of the two “Literacy Teachers” at
Redwood
Acres
Public School
is shown working with Grade 2 student, Kyle, on some of his writing
skills. On Thursday, October 25, from
5:30
to
7:30 p.m.
, Kellie and her colleague, Monica MacMillan, will be coordinating the 2nd
Annual Family Literacy Night for parents and children of the entire
community.
“Our theme this year
is ‘Writing Through The Arts’, “explained Ms MacKenzie. “We will
be offering five different 20-minute workshops that will be lead by
experts who will take parents and their children through an interactive
experience designed to promote writing skills.”
The
evening will feature Nancy Gareth-Coulombe from the
Art
Gallery
, Chuck Roberts using music as a writing tool, story writing with Michelle
Walton and Miss Hallman as well as a “Book Fair” where parents can
purchase or order some excellent reading resources for their children.
The
Family Literacy Night is open to all parents and children of the community
and is free of charge. Just drop in to
Redwood
Acres
Public School
at
4625 Carl Street
in Hanmer. You can call 969-4435 for more information. Writing is one of
those communication skills that is so valuable today and anything parents
can do to encourage a love of writing in their children is well worth the
time and effort.
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Laurentian University Nursing
Students Conduct Vital Signs Clinic |
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As part of their program, students enrolled in the
Laurentian University Nursing Programs are required to spend a number of
hours in community and clinical settings. On February 11, 2008, seven of
the students, under the supervision of Lynn Aubuchon, third from the right
in the photo, conducted a Vital Signs Clinic at the Hanmer Valley Shopping
Centre.
Shown in the photo, from left to right, are: Carrie-Ann Castilloux,
Marie Rose, Dominique Leroux, Renee Bertrand, Nathalie Lebeau, Lynn
Aubuchon, Charlene Quesnel, and Fatima Sankoh.
The girls are all part of the 4 year French language nursing program at
the school. |
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Silka Abresch Impresses Everyone
With a 72% Accuracy Free Throw Performance To Advance To Zone Finals
In March |
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Silka Abresch, a 9-year old Grade 4 student at Valley View
Public School, was on fire during the Basketball Free Throw Competition
that was held at her home school on February 9, 2008. The event was
sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Diocesan Association as part of a Zone
event to determine the six boys and six girls from ages 9 through 14 who
are to be determined champions during the finals on March 1 at Marymount
Academy from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Shown with Silka are, Knights of Columbus 7368 Paul VI Grand Knight
Roger Brideau and KC District Warden and event coordinator, Rick Rivais.
A total of 27 students from Valley East, Capreol, Levack and Chelmsford
participated in the competition at Valley View. Each participant was
allowed 25 free throws with the boy and girl in each age category with the
most baskets being declared winners and advancing to the Regional Finals
on March 1.
Under immense pressure, Silka sunk an amazing total of 18 baskets for a
72% free throw accuracy rate - a statistic that many NBA stars would be
pleased with.
Silka is an excellent student and a natural athlete. During the winter
she plays hockey on King Sportswear Atom Lions. In the summer she is on
the Valley East Soccer Club competitive team for 9 and 10 year olds and
she is a member of the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club where she is
trying to follow in the footsteps of her father Mike Abresch and her
grandfather, Ken Davidson.
When asked to share her secret to success on the free throw line, Silka
made a remarkable statement that explains her performance in everything
she does. "I just think about getting it in." Her answer
reminded me about a story once told about Pete Rose, the infamous baseball
legend who was arguably the best hitter ever in the history of baseball.
One day he was 73 hits away from breaking the all time record when a
reporter asked him how many more at bats he thought it would take to break
the record. Pete Rose quickly answered, "73." When pressed to
explain how he thought he could get 73 consecutive hits, he quickly
answered again, "I never go up to bat expecting to fail. Every time I
step up to the plate I expect to get a hit. So, if I need 73 more hits, I
expect to do it in my next 73 at bats."
For Silka, every time she steps up to the foul line, she expects to get
a basket. Failure never crosses her mind. For a 9-year old, she has
certainly shown remarkable perception about life.
Silka lives in Valley East with her parents, Mike and Debbie, as well
as her brother, Dexton (16) who is in Grade 11 at Confederation Secondary
School, and her sister, Everett (13), who is in Grade 7 at Valley View
Public School. |
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Local residents now have a chance to take a
trip back to the age of innocence thanks to the students at
Confederation
Secondary School
.
Set in the 1950s,
Betty’s Diner is a comedy that traces the closure of a local diner and
its effects on the local teen community. The production run’s March 28th-29th
at 7:30 pm in the Auditorium of
Confederation
Secondary School
. Tickets are $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for students and available at the
Confederation
Secondary School
Main Office. You may also call for reservation. |
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They
say that “all great things come from simple beginnings: a tiny idea, a
spark of creativity and a dash of guts to get it off the ground”, this
must have been in the mind of Confederation Secondary School student Kyla
Carter when she decided to take on the difficult task of creating the
schools’ very first theatrical production taking place at the end of
March. Kyla is shown in the centre of the photo above along with Danielle
MacEchron on the left and Sam Bolger on the right.
The
next step was to the principals’ office to get approval from
administration. This, of course, was not difficult to get. “I’ve been
waiting for this for years”, says Principal Mike Mirka, always
supportive of the arts, “the school has a successful athletics program,
a passionate visual arts department and a rock band so talented they
acquire support from the professional arts community, all we were lacking
was a theatre program”.
However,
a spark of creativity and dash of guts can only get you so far, you need a
cast, crew and direction team to get a show off the ground-all artists
learn quite early that passion is not always quite enough and its’ the
hard work and dedication that pulls you through.
No strangers to hard work Carter and Brooks bore down.
Carter enlisted the help of her friends as well as enthusiastic
director and actor Ashley Paige Fraser whose passion and positive attitude
instantly endeared her to the actors. Similarly, Brooks found hidden set
design talents in co-workers visual artist Barry Williams and shop teacher
Earl Cote. “The production
was a huge undertaking,” said Brooks “we fundraised to pay for the
production, between the set, directing, costumes and props it was a big
job but working as a team has made a huge difference, we all learned a
lot”.
Co-directed
by Brooks, Fraser and Carter, the result was the production of Betty’s
Diner by Daniele MacEchron: a student-written passionately acted piece
that tells the story of the closure of a 50’s diner and teen hide-out as
well as the effect it has on the lives of the teens who live there.
“I
think the most important part of this production is that young people saw
a void in their community and instead of accepting it for what it was,
stove to change it” says Fraser “that’s a rare and beautiful thing
so when you find it you encourage it”.
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Confederation
Girls Win NOSSA Volleyball Crown |
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The Confederation Secondary School Senior Girls Volleyball Team
played a remarkable championship game against Widdifield of North Bay
while attending the NOSSA tournament in Sault Ste. Marie and ended up
coming out on top of a five-game match to bring home the coveted
Championship Banner for 2008.
The winning team, shown
in the photo, includes: Front row from left to right: Karen Black, Jessica
Houle, Jessica Carson, Michelle Claveau, and Brittany Watters. Back row
from the left: Laura Aubertin (Coach), Chris Holden (Trainer), Erica
Richard, Jennifer Ducharme, Kristen Bolduc, Trina Czerkas, Alexandra
McInnis, Eugena Auge, and Bruce Holden (Assistant Coach).
Laura
Aubertin, Head Coach of the team was ecstatic as she described the road to
victory on February 23, “The journey for this team just keeps getting
sweeter! During the round robin play, our Chargers seemed to be lacking a
bit of spark and narrowly won 2 of their 3 matches. Using a
tie-breaker to determine the teams that would advance to the championship
match, our Chargers narrowly beat out Bawating, the home town favourites.
The stage was set...a rematch between Widdifield from
North Bay
and our determined Chargers. In two matchups between these teams
earlier, each had won one match.”
Laura described the
final match. “The final proved to be the match of the tournament. Taking
commanding control of the match, our girls won the first game. Widdifield
showed their Wildcat composure and took the next two games. In the
fourth game, determination and excellent composure prevailed as our
Chargers evened the playing field. The Championship would be
determined by the 5th and deciding set. Again, our Chargers took
early control of the game and never looked back. Making purring
kittens of the Widdifield Wildcats, our Chargers took home the Gold Medal
and another banner for our gym.”
The support from the
fans for the championship was fantastic according to observers, even
though it was in Sault Ste. Marie. The fact that the Confederation fans
easily out cheered the Widdifield fans added to the sweet taste of
victory.
Confederation
then went into the AA All Ontario Championships which were played in
Sudbury
, ranked 6th in the province. They played some inspired matches
and ended up being edged out in the quarter finals.
Laura Aubertin
congratulated the Senior Girls Volleyball Team on their accomplishments
this year. She stated that they are a wonderful group of Charges who
continually represent their school in a proud manner. With only one player
from the squad graduating this year, the girls are looking forward to
another trip to the OFSAA in twelve months. |
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Best
Start Hub Opens At
Redwood
Acres
Public
School |
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The
Redwood
Acres
Public School
gymnasium was filled with
the happy sounds of children playing during the morning of Wednesday,
February 27, 2008 as they and their parents attended the grand opening of
the Best Start Hub for English Language children living in the
Valley East
area. A total of twelve
such locations will be in operation around the Greater Sudbury Area by
September 2008.
Shown in the photo during the official ribbon-cutting session, from
left to right are: Melissa Pitfield, Director of Child Care Programs for
YMCA; Jenny Southerland, Supervisor of the Child Care Centre at Redwood
Acres; Lise Hawes, Early Years Practitioner for Best Start; Liam
Desrochers (4) and Andrea Richer (3), cutting the ribbon; Michelle Piche,
Early Years Practitioner for Best Start; and Gail Luopa, Coordinator of
the Best Start Program.
The Best Start Program is operated in partnership with the YMCA
Licensed Child Care Services and the Rainbow District School Board in
order to provide young children from birth to age 6 with an opportunity to
participate in some stimulating learning experiences within their
community schools. Together with their parents, grandparents, or care
givers, children take part in a directed program which includes crafts,
discovery time, physical activities and special workshops. The parents
stay with their children during the session and take part in the
activities as well. The program offers children a chance to get ready for
entry into the school system in Junior Kindergarten and also allows
parents a chance to access some very important support services that are
offered by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
There is no cost to
attend the sessions which are held in the Child Care Centre at Redwood
Acres. Space is limited so if you wish to attend you should make sure to
arrive early.
The Best Start Hub is open at Redwood Acres on the first three
Thursdays of the month from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It is also open during
the evenings on the first three Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The 2nd
Thursday of the month is “Dad’s Night” and is only open to children
accompanied by their male parent or care giver. The last Saturday of every
month the program runs from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, starting in April 2008.
Other English Language Best Start Hubs that are available nearby
and supervised by Practitioners Lise Hawes and Michelle Piche include,
Confederation
Secondary School
every Wednesday from 9 a.m.
to 12 noon and upstairs at the library in Capreol every Monday from 9 a.m.
to 12 noon.
If you would like more
information about the Best Start Program of the Child Care Services
program at
Redwood
Acres
Public School
you can contact Melissa
Pitfield at 688-7300 ext. 2137.
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Confederation Students Looking To
Local Residents For Help |
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The Ministry of Public Affairs of
the Student Parliament at
Confederation
Secondary School
has entered into a special contest with the
students of Lockerby Composite and
Espanola
High Schools
. The winner will walk away with a prize of
$3000 which will go towards graduation awards. The winning school will be
the one that collects the greatest number of used or damaged cell phones,
PDA’s, Blackberrys and pagers during the month of March.
Some of the Confederation Secondary School Students who are
participating in the project are shown in the above photo, from left to
right are: Shannyn Falcioni, Steven McAnulty, Eugena Auge, Miranda Fowler,
and Andrew Smith.
The contest is being
sponsored by Roger’s Phones, but the students are collecting all types
of phones including Bell Mobility.
Besides being a special contest that the students have entered to
help with their graduation awards, this is an excellent way to recycle old
cell phones that are no longer usable.
The goal of
Phones-for-Food is to alleviate hunger and divert waste from landfill
sites. 100% of the proceeds raised through the process of recycling used
wireless devices are given to the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB)
which operates the program and distributes the funds to local food banks.
Phones-for-Food is the FIRST national wireless device recycling
program of its kind in
Canada
. It launched in 2003 as a result of the
success of its thINK FOOD printer cartridge-recycling program.
One wireless device, depending on its age and condition, can
generate an average of $2-$5 which is equivalent to one carton of milk or
a jar of peanut butter – even a whole meal — to someone in need.
Since 2004,
approximately 220,000 wireless devices were diverted from landfills and in
the process raised almost $500,000 for the CAFB and food banks across
Canada
.
If you would like to help out the students from
Confederation
Secondary School
, simply bring your old cell phones to the
Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre and drop them off at the Source by
Circuit
City
or at Desjardins' Food Basics. The students
will then pick up the phones from those places. Please be aware that the
students cannot accept chargers, accessories such as headphones and car
adapters, or ink cartridges. This contest is only for wireless devices
such as cell phones, PDA’s, Blackberrys and pagers.
Let’s help Confederation win this contest! |
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Cash Calendars Being Sold By Ecole
Notre Dame To Raise Money For Year End Activities |
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Sue Beaudry is recognized in the community as a tireless
volunteer who is always ready to lend a helping hand when it comes to
children. Here she is shown spending several hours at the Hanmer Valley
Shopping Centre selling "Cash Calendars" for the Parent-Teachers
Association of Ecole Notre Dame of Hanmer. Sue's daughter, Jennifer, is a
Grade 8 student at the school.
Don Dupuis stopped by to purchase one of the tickets which will give
him a chance at winning one of the daily prizes that will be awarded
during the month of March. The $5 ticket gives him 31 chances at winning a
cash prize. Every Sunday during March the prize will be $100; Saturdays
the prize will be $50; and all weekday winners will receive a prize of
$20. In all, $1170 in prizes will be handed out to thirty one winners.
This is the first year Ecole Notre Dame has tried this type of
fund-raiser. You can also pick up one of your tickets at the school every
Friday or by calling 969-4411.
Sue is also President of the Club Optimist de la Vallee, a youth
organization that is dedicated to raising money in support of youth-based
activities. The group organizes an annual golf tournament, bike rodeo,
Christmas breakfast and Popcorn Fridays at the school. They provide
funding to individuals who need financial assistance in order to improve
the quality of life of children in the family.
On top of that, Sue is the manager of the two hockey teams her children
play on in Valley East. Her son, Justin, attends Grade 10 at Collage Notre
Dame in Sudbury.
Sue stopped working outside the home when her daughter was ten years of
age. "I decided it was more important for me to be around for my
children than to continue working and have more money for those extra
luxuries. We just have to watch what we spend and we sacrifice a few
things, but I don't regret my decision for one minute. It has made a world
of difference for my children to know that their mother is available when
needed. It has also been a wonderful experience for them to see me getting
so involved in the community and in their school activities."
While her schedule is certainly filled with plenty to do because of her
community involvement and volunteering activities, Sue wouldn't have it
any other way, "I think it is important for children to see their
parents getting involved in their community. It shows them how much we
care and gives them a good example to follow when they have their own
children. I know I am very fortunate to be in a position where I am able
to take time from my career to devote to my children. It is something I am
grateful for and will continue to take advantage of as long as I
can." |
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DÉFI
DE LECTURE
ÉCOLE
NOTRE-DAME, HANMER |
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L’école
Notre-Dame à Hanmer vient tout juste de terminer son défi de lecture.
Les élèves de la maternelle à la sixième année ont participé. Ces
300 élèves avaient deux mois pour lire 9000 livres. Chaque fois qu’un
élève lisait 10 livres et remettait son formulaire, il recevait un
coupon pour de la pizza de Pizza Pizzaz et son nom était ajouté pour des
tirages de différents prix. Les élèves de l’école ont surpassé
l’objectif du défi et se sont mérité un dîner de pizza pour toute
l’école. L’événement, qui avait comme but d’encourager les élèves
à lire plus, fut un grand succès car plusieurs élèves ont participé
avec enthousiasme.
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READING
CHALLENGE
ÉCOLE
NOTRE-DAME, HANMER |
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École
Notre-Dame in Hanmer has just completed its Reading Challenge. The
students from JK to grade 6 participated. These 300 students had two
months to read 9000 books. Every time that a student read ten books and
filled in his form, he/she received a pizza coupon from Pizza Pizzaz and
qualified for prizes from different draws. The students surpassed the
objective of the Challenge and had a pizza lunch for the whole school. The
goal of the Challenge was to encourage our students to read; this
objective was met as many students participated with plenty of enthusiasm.
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The
four students who read the most books were: Mathieu Nicksy (170
books), Ally Richards-Coupal (120 books), Danika Délarosbil (110 books)
and Tina Carrière (100 books).
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The Special Education - Life Skills Program helps children
deal with real-life situations. Here the group is discussing the protocol
for a field-trip to the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. |
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Once at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, the class was
split up into two groups and assigned to two different entrances in the
mall. The first group is shown above at the Desjardins' Food Basics
entrance, and the second group is shown below at the entrance to the Hart
Department Store. |
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The children were given the task of greeting shoppers by
opening the doors and saying hello. If a person said "Thank you"
in English, they were to respond with a "Your Welcome" in
English. If the person spoke in French, they were to respond in French. In
addition, the students were handing out flyers promoting their school and
the new French Public Elementary School being build in Val Caron. |
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Once the students returned to the school, they gathered
together to discuss their experiences and share what they had learned. |
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All agreed that they thoroughly enjoyed the time spent
greeting shoppers at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. The Teachers were
very pleased with what the children learned, and Principal, Lynn
Desrosiers, shown above in the yellow jacket, thanked the group for being
great ambassadors for the school. |
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New
Play Centre Is Welcome Addition to Ecole Foyer Jeunesse |
Lynn Desrosiers, Principal of Ecole Publique Foyer Jeunesse, is shown with
some her almost 300 students during the Annual School Yard Clean-Up Day
which was held on Saturday, September 17. Besides the usual cleaning up of
the school yard, followed by a barbecue lunch, this day was even more
special since it marked the official opening of the brand new play center
that was just installed in time for the school year. Shown with Ms.
Desrosiers, from the top down are Maxime, Emilie, Chelsea, Britney,
Jessie, Isabelle, and Daniel. Despite the fact that 120 students who would
have normally attended the Ecole Publicque Foyer Jeunesse in Hanmer have
been enrolled in the new facility at Ecole Publique de la Decouverte in
Val Caron, Foyer Jeunesse is still the largest
French
Language
Public School
in the region.
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Local residents now have a chance to take a
trip back to the age of innocence thanks to the students at
Confederation
Secondary School
.
Set in the 1950s,
Betty’s Diner is a comedy that traces the closure of a local diner and
its effects on the local teen community. The production run’s March 28th-29th
at 7:30 pm in the Auditorium of
Confederation
Secondary School
. Tickets are $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for students and available at the
Confederation
Secondary School
Main Office. You may also call for reservation. |
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They
say that “all great things come from simple beginnings: a tiny idea, a
spark of creativity and a dash of guts to get it off the ground”, this
must have been in the mind of Confederation Secondary School student Kyla
Carter when she decided to take on the difficult task of creating the
schools’ very first theatrical production taking place at the end of
March. Kyla is shown in the centre of the photo above along with Danielle
MacEchron on the left and Sam Bolger on the right.
The
next step was to the principals’ office to get approval from
administration. This, of course, was not difficult to get. “I’ve been
waiting for this for years”, says Principal Mike Mirka, always
supportive of the arts, “the school has a successful athletics program,
a passionate visual arts department and a rock band so talented they
acquire support from the professional arts community, all we were lacking
was a theatre program”.
However,
a spark of creativity and dash of guts can only get you so far, you need a
cast, crew and direction team to get a show off the ground-all artists
learn quite early that passion is not always quite enough and its’ the
hard work and dedication that pulls you through.
No strangers to hard work Carter and Brooks bore down.
Carter enlisted the help of her friends as well as enthusiastic
director and actor Ashley Paige Fraser whose passion and positive attitude
instantly endeared her to the actors. Similarly, Brooks found hidden set
design talents in co-workers visual artist Barry Williams and shop teacher
Earl Cote. “The production
was a huge undertaking,” said Brooks “we fundraised to pay for the
production, between the set, directing, costumes and props it was a big
job but working as a team has made a huge difference, we all learned a
lot”.
Co-directed
by Brooks, Fraser and Carter, the result was the production of Betty’s
Diner by Daniele MacEchron: a student-written passionately acted piece
that tells the story of the closure of a 50’s diner and teen hide-out as
well as the effect it has on the lives of the teens who live there.
“I
think the most important part of this production is that young people saw
a void in their community and instead of accepting it for what it was,
stove to change it” says Fraser “that’s a rare and beautiful thing
so when you find it you encourage it”.
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Confederation
Girls Win NOSSA Volleyball Crown |
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The Confederation Secondary School Senior Girls Volleyball Team
played a remarkable championship game against Widdifield of North Bay
while attending the NOSSA tournament in Sault Ste. Marie and ended up
coming out on top of a five-game match to bring home the coveted
Championship Banner for 2008.
The winning team, shown
in the photo, includes: Front row from left to right: Karen Black, Jessica
Houle, Jessica Carson, Michelle Claveau, and Brittany Watters. Back row
from the left: Laura Aubertin (Coach), Chris Holden (Trainer), Erica
Richard, Jennifer Ducharme, Kristen Bolduc, Trina Czerkas, Alexandra
McInnis, Eugena Auge, and Bruce Holden (Assistant Coach).
Laura
Aubertin, Head Coach of the team was ecstatic as she described the road to
victory on February 23, “The journey for this team just keeps getting
sweeter! During the round robin play, our Chargers seemed to be lacking a
bit of spark and narrowly won 2 of their 3 matches. Using a
tie-breaker to determine the teams that would advance to the championship
match, our Chargers narrowly beat out Bawating, the home town favourites.
The stage was set...a rematch between Widdifield from
North Bay
and our determined Chargers. In two matchups between these teams
earlier, each had won one match.”
Laura described the
final match. “The final proved to be the match of the tournament. Taking
commanding control of the match, our girls won the first game. Widdifield
showed their Wildcat composure and took the next two games. In the
fourth game, determination and excellent composure prevailed as our
Chargers evened the playing field. The Championship would be
determined by the 5th and deciding set. Again, our Chargers took
early control of the game and never looked back. Making purring
kittens of the Widdifield Wildcats, our Chargers took home the Gold Medal
and another banner for our gym.”
The support from the
fans for the championship was fantastic according to observers, even
though it was in Sault Ste. Marie. The fact that the Confederation fans
easily out cheered the Widdifield fans added to the sweet taste of
victory.
Confederation
then went into the AA All Ontario Championships which were played in
Sudbury
, ranked 6th in the province. They played some inspired matches
and ended up being edged out in the quarter finals.
Laura Aubertin
congratulated the Senior Girls Volleyball Team on their accomplishments
this year. She stated that they are a wonderful group of Charges who
continually represent their school in a proud manner. With only one player
from the squad graduating this year, the girls are looking forward to
another trip to the OFSAA in twelve months. |
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Best
Start Hub Opens At
Redwood
Acres
Public
School |
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The
Redwood
Acres
Public School
gymnasium was filled with
the happy sounds of children playing during the morning of Wednesday,
February 27, 2008 as they and their parents attended the grand opening of
the Best Start Hub for English Language children living in the
Valley East
area. A total of twelve
such locations will be in operation around the Greater Sudbury Area by
September 2008.
Shown in the photo during the official ribbon-cutting session, from
left to right are: Melissa Pitfield, Director of Child Care Programs for
YMCA; Jenny Southerland, Supervisor of the Child Care Centre at Redwood
Acres; Lise Hawes, Early Years Practitioner for Best Start; Liam
Desrochers (4) and Andrea Richer (3), cutting the ribbon; Michelle Piche,
Early Years Practitioner for Best Start; and Gail Luopa, Coordinator of
the Best Start Program.
The Best Start Program is operated in partnership with the YMCA
Licensed Child Care Services and the Rainbow District School Board in
order to provide young children from birth to age 6 with an opportunity to
participate in some stimulating learning experiences within their
community schools. Together with their parents, grandparents, or care
givers, children take part in a directed program which includes crafts,
discovery time, physical activities and special workshops. The parents
stay with their children during the session and take part in the
activities as well. The program offers children a chance to get ready for
entry into the school system in Junior Kindergarten and also allows
parents a chance to access some very important support services that are
offered by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
There is no cost to
attend the sessions which are held in the Child Care Centre at Redwood
Acres. Space is limited so if you wish to attend you should make sure to
arrive early.
The Best Start Hub is open at Redwood Acres on the first three
Thursdays of the month from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It is also open during
the evenings on the first three Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The 2nd
Thursday of the month is “Dad’s Night” and is only open to children
accompanied by their male parent or care giver. The last Saturday of every
month the program runs from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, starting in April 2008.
Other English Language Best Start Hubs that are available nearby
and supervised by Practitioners Lise Hawes and Michelle Piche include,
Confederation
Secondary School
every Wednesday from 9 a.m.
to 12 noon and upstairs at the library in Capreol every Monday from 9 a.m.
to 12 noon.
If you would like more
information about the Best Start Program of the Child Care Services
program at
Redwood
Acres
Public School
you can contact Melissa
Pitfield at 688-7300 ext. 2137.
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Confederation Students Looking To
Local Residents For Help |
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The Ministry of Public Affairs of
the Student Parliament at
Confederation
Secondary School
has entered into a special contest with the
students of Lockerby Composite and
Espanola
High Schools
. The winner will walk away with a prize of
$3000 which will go towards graduation awards. The winning school will be
the one that collects the greatest number of used or damaged cell phones,
PDA’s, Blackberrys and pagers during the month of March.
Some of the Confederation Secondary School Students who are
participating in the project are shown in the above photo, from left to
right are: Shannyn Falcioni, Steven McAnulty, Eugena Auge, Miranda Fowler,
and Andrew Smith.
The contest is being
sponsored by Roger’s Phones, but the students are collecting all types
of phones including Bell Mobility.
Besides being a special contest that the students have entered to
help with their graduation awards, this is an excellent way to recycle old
cell phones that are no longer usable.
The goal of
Phones-for-Food is to alleviate hunger and divert waste from landfill
sites. 100% of the proceeds raised through the process of recycling used
wireless devices are given to the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB)
which operates the program and distributes the funds to local food banks.
Phones-for-Food is the FIRST national wireless device recycling
program of its kind in
Canada
. It launched in 2003 as a result of the
success of its thINK FOOD printer cartridge-recycling program.
One wireless device, depending on its age and condition, can
generate an average of $2-$5 which is equivalent to one carton of milk or
a jar of peanut butter – even a whole meal — to someone in need.
Since 2004,
approximately 220,000 wireless devices were diverted from landfills and in
the process raised almost $500,000 for the CAFB and food banks across
Canada
.
If you would like to help out the students from
Confederation
Secondary School
, simply bring your old cell phones to the
Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre and drop them off at the Source by
Circuit
City
or at Desjardins' Food Basics. The students
will then pick up the phones from those places. Please be aware that the
students cannot accept chargers, accessories such as headphones and car
adapters, or ink cartridges. This contest is only for wireless devices
such as cell phones, PDA’s, Blackberrys and pagers.
Let’s help Confederation win this contest! |
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Cash Calendars Being Sold By Ecole
Notre Dame To Raise Money For Year End Activities |
|
|
Sue Beaudry is recognized in the community as a tireless
volunteer who is always ready to lend a helping hand when it comes to
children. Here she is shown spending several hours at the Hanmer Valley
Shopping Centre selling "Cash Calendars" for the Parent-Teachers
Association of Ecole Notre Dame of Hanmer. Sue's daughter, Jennifer, is a
Grade 8 student at the school.
Don Dupuis stopped by to purchase one of the tickets which will give
him a chance at winning one of the daily prizes that will be awarded
during the month of March. The $5 ticket gives him 31 chances at winning a
cash prize. Every Sunday during March the prize will be $100; Saturdays
the prize will be $50; and all weekday winners will receive a prize of
$20. In all, $1170 in prizes will be handed out to thirty one winners.
This is the first year Ecole Notre Dame has tried this type of
fund-raiser. You can also pick up one of your tickets at the school every
Friday or by calling 969-4411.
Sue is also President of the Club Optimist de la Vallee, a youth
organization that is dedicated to raising money in support of youth-based
activities. The group organizes an annual golf tournament, bike rodeo,
Christmas breakfast and Popcorn Fridays at the school. They provide
funding to individuals who need financial assistance in order to improve
the quality of life of children in the family.
On top of that, Sue is the manager of the two hockey teams her children
play on in Valley East. Her son, Justin, attends Grade 10 at Collage Notre
Dame in Sudbury.
Sue stopped working outside the home when her daughter was ten years of
age. "I decided it was more important for me to be around for my
children than to continue working and have more money for those extra
luxuries. We just have to watch what we spend and we sacrifice a few
things, but I don't regret my decision for one minute. It has made a world
of difference for my children to know that their mother is available when
needed. It has also been a wonderful experience for them to see me getting
so involved in the community and in their school activities."
While her schedule is certainly filled with plenty to do because of her
community involvement and volunteering activities, Sue wouldn't have it
any other way, "I think it is important for children to see their
parents getting involved in their community. It shows them how much we
care and gives them a good example to follow when they have their own
children. I know I am very fortunate to be in a position where I am able
to take time from my career to devote to my children. It is something I am
grateful for and will continue to take advantage of as long as I
can." |
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