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