CONFEDERATION SECONDARY SCHOOL

  
  • LE REVEILLON GIVES FRENCH IMMERSION STUDENTS AT CONFEDERATION SECONDARY SCHOOL A TASTE OF TRUE FRENCH CHRISTMAS TRADITION
  • Confederation Secondary School Holds 26th Annual “Christmas Is Giving” Food Drive  
  • Confederation Secondary School Class Reaches Out To Beyond Their Community Boundaries To Make Christmas A Bit Better For Ten Families In Nairn Centre 
  • Bryan Beswick Earns Community Service Hours By Helping With Flu Shot Clinic
  • Next Blood Donor Clinics Scheduled For December 21 At Knights of Columbus Hall
  • Student Parliament At Confederation Secondary School Provides Students With Real Life Leadership Experiences
  • 2915 R.C (Army) C.C. Irish Regiment of Canada Sell Poppies To Assist Capreol Legion

  

   

LE REVEILLON GIVES FRENCH IMMERSION STUDENTS AT CONFEDERATION SECONDARY SCHOOL A TASTE OF TRUE FRENCH CHRISTMAS TRADITION

It only takes a few minutes with Mme Helene Berthiaume to discover her passion for francophone culture! 

Mme Berthiaume has been a professional educator for over 20 years with experience at both the elementary and secondary level. She now finds herself the Program Leader for French Immersion at Confederation Secondary School and is "Loving Every Minute".

As a program leader Mme Berthiaume is able to integrate her "personal passion for the French Culture" into the programs being taken by the 78 students in the French Immersion program at Confederation. 

On December 13, 2006, Mme Berthiaume, with the help of staff and volunteers, organized the First Annual "REVEILLON" celebration at the school. "This is the meal that the French people have right after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. By having the students enjoy this beautiful buffet lunch with so many delicious French foods, it gives the students a chance to appreciate the French culture. It gives everyone a fresh perspective on how they live. This makes them want to learn the language so that they too can participate in this wonderful way of life."

The group above, shown behind the buffet table during the meal, included, from the left: David Martin (Teacher); Joelle Fredette (Teacher); Lauraine Gilbeau (who helped with the cooking); Mme Berthiaume (Program Leader); Gemma & Michel Fredette (Volunteers).
Following the meal, the students moved to the amphitheatre where they were treated to a presentation by "Mon Oncle Emile" a professional story teller who shared some of his favourite traditional tales. The Grades 7 and 8 students from Valley View Public School also attended the presentation.

  

Confederation Secondary School Holds 26th Annual “Christmas Is Giving” Food Drive

   Amanda Alcock, shown in the middle of the photo wearing the white sweater, presents Norm Martin, 2nd Vice President of the Capreol Lions Club, and Andrea Blais-Beaulieu of the Good Neighbours Food Bank, with much needed cash donations to go along with the 1462 non-perishable food items and one hundred 10-pound bags of potatoes that were collected as part of their 26th Annual “Christmas Is Giving” Food Drive which was held on Tuesday, December 5, 2006.
   
   The people in the photo include, from the left: Norm Martin and Linda Wotton of the Capreol Lions Club; Amanda Alcock, Minister of Public Affairs with the Confederation Secondary School Student Parliament; Phil Proulx, Andrea Blais-Beaulieu, Andre Beaulieu and Lillian Belanger, all representing the Good Neighbours Food Bank.
   
   Amanda and her Co-minister of Public Affairs, Maria Manolioudakis coordinated the food drive which involved over one hundred students in the school who volunteered to go out on the streets of Valley East and Capreol during the first two periods on December 5 to collect the food.
   
   “We all know that there are many families in our community who find it difficult around Christmas,” explained Amanda when asked why the school takes on this project. “It is a time when there are a lot of added expenses and people are under a lot of stress. We just want to do whatever we can to make it a little easier for them at this time of year.”
   
   Amanda extended heartfelt appreciation to all of the people who donated the food; to Valley Growers who donated the bags of potatoes; to the students who participated; to Ms. Patricia Miller and Ms Cynthia Farrar, two of the teachers who worked with the student parliament on the project; and to the four members of the Capreol Lions Club who helped out by driving to pick up food in that community.
   
   Amanda will be graduating in June and plans on enrolling in the Concurrent Education Program at Laurentian University en route to a career as an elementary school teacher, something she has dreamed about since Grade 2.
  
   The Capreol Lions and the Good Neighbours Food Bank both expressed their sincere gratitude for the donations.
 

For the complete story and more photos 


  

Confederation Secondary School Class Reaches Out To Beyond Their Community Boundaries To Make Christmas A Bit Better For Ten Families In Nairn Centre 
Several of the students in Ms. Tiffany Roberts' English Class at Confederation Secondary School are shown examining one of the boxes of food and other items that are being assembled for ten families that the school has "adopted" from Nairn Centre. Many people in that community have been affected by massive layoffs in recent months and are facing dire circumstances as a result. Confederation students also took part in the 26th Annual "Christmas Is Giving" Food Drive on December 5, 2006,  in support of the Good Neighbours Food Bank in Hanmer and the Capreol Lions Food Bank. As a community school, students and staff understand the importance of reaching out to others in need and when they became aware of the situation in Nairn Centre, they welcomed the opportunity to expand their boundaries for this initiative.
  

For the complete story and more photos 


  

Bryan Beswick Earns Community Service Hours By Helping With Flu Shot Clinic
It was a long, but very worthwhile day for Bryan Beswick, shown above and to the right, as he volunteered his time to help out with the Sudbury District Health Unit's Annual Flu Shop Clinic which was held at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on Saturday, December 2, 2006. 

For the past two years, the Flu Clinic has been held in the offices of Beswick Denture Clinic. This year, close to 250 people of all ages dropped by to get their free flu shot.

Bryan was responsible for opening up the office, setting up the tables and chairs, providing refreshments sponsored by his father, and helping out during the day at the registration table. In return for his time, Bryan will earn hours towards his compulsory community hours credits which are required for graduation from secondary school. Bryan attends Grade 11 at Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron.

Bryan received nothing by the highest of compliments from the staff and volunteers of the Health Unit, who found that the Beswick Denture Clinic is ideally suited for the giving of the Flu Shots. Many shoppers who stopped by the mall for groceries and Christmas gifts took advantage of the opportunity to get protected from the dreaded flu which is expected to hit the area soon.

 

Next Blood Donor Clinics Scheduled For December 21 At Knights of Columbus Hall
Michelle Blais, Senior Clinic Coordinator, Donor Services for Canadian Blood Services reminds all local residents that monthly clinics are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Emily Street every month.

Clinic hours are between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: 

December 21
January 17, 2007
February 21, 2007
March 21, 2007

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle at:
Phone: (705)688-7347
Toll free:  (800) 263-3733
email: michelle.blais@bloodservices.ca
 
Seventeen year old Kelsey Patterson, shown above in the photo, a Grade 12 student at Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron, recently gave blood for the very first time on her 17th birthday. She is shown above with Health Worker, Shiela Gravelle, who gave Kelsey a birthday to remember. 

 

Student Parliament At Confederation Secondary School Provides Students With Real Life Leadership Experiences
Confederation Secondary School Principal, Mr. Michael Mirka, is shown with several members of the school's Student Parliament as they prepare to deliver a donation of close to $250 to be used for Breast Cancer Research. Stephanie Joyal, "Minister of Finance" on the Student Parliament is holding the cheque that will be presented to a representative of the Canadian Cancer Society.

Others in the photo include, from the left: Maria Manolioudakis (Minister of Public Affairs); Craig Moore (Minister of Sports & Recreation); Mr. Mirka; Lee Pakkala (Member at Large); Stephanie Joyal (Minister of Finance); Vivian Ip (Minister of Ceremonies); and Natalie Lacasse (Deputy Prime Minister). Prime Minister Laura Cirelli was not available for the photo.

Stephanie Joyal, a Grade 12 student who plans on attending post-secondary school in Ottawa next year, organized the fund-raising campaign for the Breast Cancer Research Project. She sold Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons and collected donations from students. In addition, the members of the Student Parliament held a two-day bake sale at the school. Combined, the activities raised $236.89 for Breast Cancer Research.

With over 600 students enrolled at Confederation Secondary School, Mr. Mirka feels the Student Parliament is critical to the development of a real "community atmosphere" in the school. "The structure of the organization allows for 13 or 14 different students to develop a true sense of leadership during their final couple of years at the school. We have six different ministries along with a Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Each year the student body elects their choice of Ministers and Deputy Ministers. In addition, students are encouraged to apply to be "voluntary members" of the Student Parliament, helping out the different Ministers from time to time during the year."

Mr. Mirka, who has been principal of Confederation for the past five years is proud of the role the Student Parliament plays in his school, "Ms. Dana Masotti is the Teacher Rep on the Student Parliament. Each of the six Ministers works with one of the Program Leaders at the school, and myself and Vice-Principal, Dave St. Amour work with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. This gives staff an excellent feel for the needs and concerns of the students in general. As an advisory body, I can think of nothing that works better than our Student Parliament."

2915 R.C (Army) C.C. Irish Regiment of Canada Sell Poppies To Assist Capreol Legion
Members of the 2915 R.C (Army) C.C. Irish Regiment of Canada were in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on Saturday, October 28, 2006 selling poppies to the general public in honour of Canadians who fought and/or died for our country.

Shown above at one of the entrances are, from the left: Officer Cadet Kim Gardner; Warrant Officer Karie Belisle; and Private Miranda Bourgeois. They were part of a contingent that included eleven cadets and two officers.

Warrant Officer Belisle was just recently promoted from the rank of Company Sergeant Major and remains the ranking cadet in Capreol. A resident of Hanmer, Warrant Officer Belisle has been with the "Capreol Cadets" for the past four years. She is a Grade 12 student at Confederation Secondary School. She feels that being a member of the Cadets has definitely helped her in a great many ways and she thoroughly enjoys getting out in the community and helping organizations like the Capreol Legion.

Captain Norm Duffy oversees the operations of the Capreol Cadets and he feels that, "This definitely is something that every kid should try, but it is not for everyone." He continued to explain, "The goal of the Irish Regiment of Canada is to produce better citizens, promote physical fitness, and give young people insight into the Canadian Armed Forces. It helps boys and girls develop self-confidence, poise, and a sense of respect for their fellow man and for authority. Many people say that you don't belong to Cadets; you are adopted by Cadets.
  

 

Student Page Is A Free Public Education Service Provided To
The Schools of Valley East by
Robert Kirwan, B.A. (Math), M.A. (Education)
Independent Education & Career Planning Advisor
Member of the Ontario College of Teachers
His office is located at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, Hanmer, Ontario
Office Phone: (705) 524-7006       Home Phone: (705) 969-7215