A project funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, “Alleviating Social Isolation Through Technology”, (ASITT) is well underway. Connections Adult Learning is using the funding to help run digital skills workshops and to provide access to digital equipment and internet connections. The objective is to help people in the northern rural areas of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington to better enjoy the benefits of the digital age.

The first phase of this project has now been completed. This phase involved three main activities. The first of these was establishing two community advisory committees, one each for the Frontenac and Lennox and Addington areas. Local volunteers representing various groups in the community make up the committees, which are already providing ideas, guidance and suggestions about the project’s objectives (e.g. workshops, events and drop-in centres).

The second activity was purchasing digital equipment. Hardware purchased for the project includes seven tablets (2 iPads, 4 androids, 1 Windows10 Tablet), four laptops, two printers, four smart phones, two digital cameras and two cellular wi-fi hubs to provide connectivity for activities in locations were wi-fi is not available. Connections has also recruited an initial group of ten Digital Coaches. These coaches have volunteered their services to staff digital drop-in centres, assist with workshops, and provide other support such as photography, administration, etc.

The next phase of the project involves providing a number of free digital services to the numerous communities in the area. Connections has already started on this by offering two six-week-long workshops at each of their two sites, Sharbot Lake and Northbrook. These trainings are helping people use smart phones, tablets and Windows 10 computers.

As the first group of workshops end, new series will be offered. For example, the Connections’ Sharbot Lake office will be presenting a “Digital Gifts” workshop series, on Wednesday mornings beginning November 16. There will be more series starting in November. Connections Adult Learning suggests you check their Facebook page or their website www.connectionsadultlearning.ca for upcoming events.

The ASITT project will be offering some short, one-time workshops, too. For instance, David Elyea of Frontenac Computers will present a free workshop on “Data usage and How to Read Your Bill” on November 10 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm at the Kennebec Community Hall in Arden. Connections’ staff say they are looking for suggestions for future topics.

An important part of this project is running Community Digital Drop-in Centres. These will be places where people may go to “get connected” with wi-fi and to use or try-out digital equipment such as computers, smart phones, digital cameras and ipads and other tablets. Volunteer Digital Coaches or Project Staff will be available to provide some advice, brief training and to help solve minor problems. The first of these Digital Drop-ins will be starting in November. Times and places are provided in the Northern Happenings and in a chart in this paper. Schedules will also be on Facebook or Connections Adult Learning’s website.

To help make the project happen, Connections has been connecting with local service clubs organizations, businesses and municipalities, to help establish the drop-in centres, one-day workshops, and social events. Those contacted so far have been very open to Connections’ requests for space, use of Wi-Fi, and ideas for joint events.

If your local service group or organization is looking for a way to help increase traffic through the doors, help your participants or to do a good turn for the community, you can contact Connections to discuss what digital service or event you could host.

Excited by how the project is going so far, Connections is eager to coordinate more events but say they need you. Why not attend training sessions, share your digital talents as a digital coach or convince your organization or business to donate space or plan a digital event?

And, remember to keep checking Northern Happenings in this paper to learn about additional drop-ins, upcoming training sessions and digital social events.

On October 7, a group of students from North Addington Education Centre travelled to Kingston to visit the Kingston Glass Studio. Students took it in turns to try their hands at glass blowing, in order to make a spherical ornament. Each student chose the colours and style of their ornament, and blew it into a spherical shape with the help of the professional glass blowers at the studio.

“It was great to make your own glass ball, but it was just as much fun to watch your peers doing it,” said Emma Fuller, a grade 12 student. Students had to wait several days for the ornaments to cool enough to be transported, and were delighted with the results. This trip was in preparation for a trip on October 27 to the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the ROM in Toronto.

Grade 7 to 12 students at NAEC have also been having fun with a ball. They have been using inflatable bubble balls in a variety of activities. These balls were rented from Skyza, a new company from Pembroke. The balls are very large, with shoulder straps to keep them in place and keep the players’ heads protected.

Students have played Bubble Soccer, Sumo Wrestling, Last Man Standing, and King of the Hill. The great advantage to using the bubble balls is that students are protected from injury when making contact. It is also good exercise, because speed is not as hazardous. In addition, students spend a lot of energy manoeuvring while playing Bubble Soccer.

Amber Verbruggen, Grade 7, said, “It made you feel like you were on a roller-coaster.” Noah Gray, from Grade 8, observed, “It was fun because we got to “crush” people without getting in trouble!”

Peter Mouncey has taken over the role as school principal at Prince Charles Public School in Verona for the 2016-2017 school year.

“I truly believe in education, particularly public education, as something that can be transformative,” he says. “It can change individual lives; it can change communities and when we do a good job with our schools then I think we’re doing a good job with our society.”

Mouncey has been with the Limestone District School Board since 2000. He got his first position as a vice-principal and has not slowed down since. He has worked at seven different schools since starting with the board. Before Prince Charles he was at First Avenue, Marysville, Holsgrove, Selby, Westdale Park, Southview and Winston Churchill.

Mouncey says that growing up he was always drawn to teaching. Whether it was as a leader at cub scouts, camp counselor, Sunday school teacher or tutor, he has always had a love for leadership.

“Anything that a teenager could do that was directed towards working with children I just gravitated to naturally,” he says. “I really can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.”

After graduating from the Queen’s University Concurrent Education program, Mouncey got his first teaching job working at an international school with his wife Sharon Isbell in Hong Kong. It was there that he and Isbell got married.

The two of them stayed in Hong Kong for two years before moving back to Canada to start teaching in Eastern Ontario.

The Cobourg native got his first taste of Verona in the summer of 1977 while playing in a baseball tournament. After getting a co-op with an outdoor and experiential education program in his final year of teachers’ college, Mouncey returned to Frontenac and really started to fall in love with the area.

He and his family made the move to the Kingston area in the summer of 2000 and have been here ever since. Now with three children, the couple spends their time racing from work to hockey arenas and dance studios.

Mouncey says that he was very pleased to get the position in the Verona area. He says that the students and parent community at the school have been incredibly welcoming of him. He has loved his time at Prince Charles so far and is looking forward to a great school year.

“I can’t emphasize enough how well this first month has gone,” says Mouncey. “I truly have felt very welcomed and supported. There are folks in Verona and the surrounding area who really do value and support their school and I’d like to thank everybody for how things have gone so far.”

On September 29, North Addington Education Centre students participated in the annual Terry Fox Run. North Addington has been doing the run for over 25 years and every year the students are excited about the run. The elementary students learned about Terry Fox and his journey before the run took place and started fundraising. The kick-off assembly last week made the students enthusiastic about participating. Terry Fox ran for everyone and his goal was to raise one dollar for every Canadian; since then Canadians have raised over $700,000,000!

Everyone in the school participated, including the kindergarten classes. Maci, a kindergarten student said “I ran for Terry Fox and I want to do it again.”

Cole Delyea, a grade 4 student said, “I want to do it again next year, I ran for a friend's grandpa...” His sister, Sierra said, “I ran for Terry Fox and I’ll try to run more next year.”

North Addington students will find out how much they raised next week. Until then, the school is very proud of their accomplishment and the students are eager to run again next year.

As a group of parents sat quietly in the small gallery, wearing “I Love Yarker School” buttons, members of the Board of Trustees for the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) listened as the fate of the small Kindergarten to Grade 3 school was discussed at a committee meeting last Wednesday, September 28.

Ruth Bailey, Pupil Accommodation Review Facilitator for the LDSB, outlined the issues that led to the establishment of a Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR) for Yarker Family School.

Bailey noted that the Yarker school is the only Kindergarten to Grade 3 school in the board, making it “difficult to maintain a suitable program.” She also said, “Enrolment at Yarker school this year is 26 students, which is below our projections, and 50% of the students that live within the school's boundaries are choosing to go elsewhere ... We feel it is in the best interests of the Yarker students to be served at the Odessa Public School.”

Trustee Suzanne Ruttan, from South Frontenac, pointed out that there would be ample opportunity for the public, the township, and the school community to provide information to the PAR, and that “another staff report will come forward to the board once all that information is received.”

The Limestone Board has undertaken similar reviews in the past to deal with closing or constructing schools. A committee facilitated by board staff, including school staff and community members, was presented with all pertinent information and met over time to come up with a proposal, which may or may not have included closing schools.

However, under new directives from the Ontario Ministry of Education, school board staff are now required to provide a recommended outcome for the process even before the PAR Committee is formed to look at possible solutions to identified issues.

In the case of Yarker, board staff are recommending that the Yarker school be closed at the end of the 2016/17 school year and that students be re-directed to the elementary school in Odessa.

The PAR process for the Yarker school is the first to have been initiated since the board received a Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) from the Ameresco Asset Sustanainability Group on May 24 of this year.

Although the LTAP was only “received for information purposes” in May, the first recommendation in its timeline, “establish a PAR in 2016/17 involving Yarker FS and Odessa PS, with a view to close Yarker FS and redirect pupils to Odessa PS”, has now been adopted by the board.

The LTAP also recommends that the board consider “the consolidation of students at Marysville Public School [on Wolfe Island] with students from the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB) on one site on the island.”

That proposal was also endorsed by the board committee last Wednesday and board staff will pursue the matter with staff at the ALCDSB.

The Yarker PAR and the Marysville consolidation proposals will be ratified at an LDSB board meeting on October 9.

The Yarker and Wolfe Island decisions are being watched by residents and politicians in Frontenac County, because [discussions about] the future of schools in the county are set to take place as well, starting in three years.

The Ameresco Long Term Accommodation Plan implementation timeline calls for schools in South Frontenac to be reviewed in 2019/2020 and schools in Central and North Frontenac to be reviewed in 2023/2024.

The LTAP earmarks closing schools in Glenburnie and Verona as part of the South Frontenac accommodation review.

However, the LTAP is also set to be updated in 2018/2019 and at that time enrolment projections may change based on the 2016 census results.

The current version of the LTAP report is based on enrolment projections that were prepared by Baragers Systems from a variety of data sets, including enrolment figures in the Limestone Board from 2000 – 2015, the 2011 census, and immigration and demographic data.

“2016 census taking will be mandatory once again – it is important to assess changes in pre-school & 65+ age cohorts post release of census data” according to Barager Systems.

The entire long term accommodation process is being undertaken by the Limestone Board under the backdrop of a new Ministry of Education policy initiative that may require that schools throughout the province operate at 100% capacity. This means that for every school in the board that has fewer than the number of students it was built to accommodate, another school needs to be over full.

“Achieving close to 100% utilization year-over-year will require some schools at capacity greater than 100% to offset school populations that can never achieve 100% - that is, some students in portables,” according to the Ameresco Long Term Accommodation Plan for the Limestone Board.

Debra Rantz found herself in a bit of a difficult position last week. She has been in her role as director of education for the Limestone District School Board for just over a year, but before that she spent over two years as the chief assessment officer for the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).

At a committee meeting at the board office last week she introduced an information session on the latest set of EQAO results for students in the Limestone Board, based on testing that took place last spring.

In just about every category the percentage of Limestone students who achieved the provincial standard has dropped. This was true of Grade 3 and 6 students taking standardized tests in reading comprehension, writing, and mathematics; for Grade 9 students taking a standardized test in math; and Grade 10 students taking the mandatory literacy test.

Limestone is not alone since results across the province dropped as well, at about the same rate as they did in Limestone.

Unfortunately, as in past years, students in the Limestone Board are also less likely to be at or about the provincial standards than those in the province as a whole, by a persistently wide margin.

In the latest set of results, 62% of Grade 3 students at the LDSB achieved the standard in reading (compared to 72% provincially); 64% achieved the standard in writing (compared to 74% provincially); and 50% achieved the standard in math (compared to 63% provincially).

Among grade 6 students, 73% achieved the standard in reading (compared to 81% provincially); 57% in writing (compared to 80%); and 34% in math (50% provincially).

In Grade 9 math results, 77% of LDSB students in the academic stream achieved the standard (83% provincially); and 41% in the applied stream achieved the standard (45% provincially).

In the Grade 10 Literacy test, 73% of LDSB students passed (75% is the provincial average).

“I would say from our conversations with our leadership team we were not that surprised by the results. We are a little surprised by the literacy results, but I have to caution everyone that one year does not make a trend. I also need to tell you that if the results were better we would not be popping the champagne corks ... we have said always in Limestone that we want all of our students to participate and we look for the positive stories in the midst of what you might look at as a difficult story,” she said.

Krishan Burra, program superintendent with the LDSB, prepared a slide show that provided detailed context for the results, but before turning to him, Director Rantz made another comment about the meaning of the results, particularly the poor math results.

“When results like these come in there are always calls for back to basics. As a former EQAO employee, the students are demonstrating to us on EQAO that they know their times tables, but they do not know when to apply those skills. That flags for me that our students need to develop stronger understanding. I really feel passionate about that. There is a place for knowing our times table, but they need to go hand in hand with the thinking and our understanding,” she said

In a series of slides, Krishna Burra provided some context for the gap between the LDSB and the provincial average.

He pointed out that the percentage of boys to girls in the board is 52% to 48%, the provincially that ratio is 51% to 49%.

“We also know that girls tend to do better in standardized tests,” he said.

More tellingly, while 17% of students are designated as special needs across the province, 27% of LDSB students have the designation.

“While our special needs students do better than the provincial average for special needs students, they still lag behind students without special needs,” he said, which would lower the overall scores in the LDSB.

Even as far as the Grade 10 literacy test is concerned, there are interesting factors that Burra mentioned.

“Limestone encourages all students to take the test. Of our special needs students, 93% take the test and the provincial average is 85%. While 49% of our special needs students passed the test and the provincial average is 44%, it still affects our overall average,” he said.

Burra added that the board takes the position, and there is data to show it is a sound policy, that “students should be encouraged to succeed, even if they have not succeeded in the past.”

An example of this can be found in the Grade 9 math results. Students entering secondary school have the option of taking the academic or the applied stream in math.

A healthy percentage of students who do not achieve the standard in Grade 6 but nonetheless enter the academic stream, achieve the standard in Grade 9. A much lower percentage of those who opt for the applied stream.

“It is possible to succeed, and creating the expectation of success is one way to promote improvement,” he said.

Two hundred and fifty-six students, or 45%, who did not meet the provincial math standard in Grade 6, rose to the standard in Grade 9, and most of those were in the academic stream

A number of students in the LDSB have also been able to bring their writing levels up between testing in Grade 6 and the Grade 10 literacy test.

“In Limestone, 47%, or 156 students, who did not achieve the provincial writing standard in Grade 6, met the standard in Grade 10,” said a release from the board announcing the EQAO results.

The release, entitled “Previously unsuccessful students meet provincial standards in EQAO assessments” emphasized these successes while acknowledging that “results for the Limestone District School Board indicate there has been a drop in achievement across all levels.”

On September 12, North Addington Education Centre had the honour to hear motivational speaker, Nick Foley, of Move for Inclusion (MFI), who spoke about his experiences and taught NAEC many valuable lessons. MFI is an organization that promotes inclusion of others and acceptance. MFI started in 2012, four days after Nick’s daughter was born. The students at NAEC listened to Nick and gained an insight of how important it is to include others and accept them for who they are. Recently, Nick went across Canada (Victoria, B.C to St. John’s, N.F) on a bicycle to raise awareness and promote physical activity. He emphasized that it is important to be a good person not just for others but for yourself.

Students at NAEC said that Nick Foley was an inspiration for them to get active and to accept people for who they are. Emma Grand, a Grade 12 student stated, “Nick’s presentation was very inspiring and really helped me learn to accept people.”

Tyson Johnson in Grade 9 said, “Nick Foley’s life lessons were inspirational. I really liked the bullying awareness stories.”

Nick wanted to leave NAEC with a very important message, “Celebrate acceptance without bias, and be inclusive to everyone.”

For more information on Move for Inclusion check out the website: http://moveforinclusion.com

Earlier this year, Connections Adult Learning received a $39,000 Seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to fund its new “Alleviating Social Isolation Through Technology” (ASITT) project.

Over the next eight months, Connections will be taking steps to provide access to hardware and internet connections and to help people improve digital skills through various training opportunities. Planned activities include establishing community Wi-Fi points; visits to housebound persons; providing multi-session and one-day workshops on various technology topics; establishing half-day technology drop-in centres for access and advice; hosting social digital activities like exergaming and streamed video; and providing online tips from experts in health, legal and other online information.

“Technology is advancing at incredible rates; the ability to use technology and navigate the internet is no longer simply an amusement or enjoyable distraction, it has become a necessary and essential tool for accessing government services, finding information about health care, searching job opportunities, running a small business, or just staying in touch with family,” remarked Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington. “With this grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Connections Adult Learning is providing important technology-based education and skills development while helping people better connect to their communities, and the world, in a digital age.”

So, what could you learn if you participated in one or more of the training opportunities? Topics currently being explored include: online banking, how to buy and sell items online through sites like Kijiji or eBay, learning to use social media (Facebook, Skype, Instagram), basic computer skills, finding online health care information, finding legal advice, and how to watch online videos. However, Connections will be looking for the public’s suggestions into their needs and interests.

“To many of us, activities such as sending a photo, using social media, browsing yardsale sites, or visiting with distant family and friends are simply taps on our mobile device. However, for people without digital skills or access to hardware or internet these activities are not simple, and becoming socially isolated from family, friends and community is a real possibility,” said Karen Bertram, the project’s coordinator.

In late September, Connections will be offering the first of ASITT’s multi-session workshops. In Sharbot Lake, (24719 Hwy 7), Connections will present a “Basic Computers - Windows 10” workshop and “Managing Your Mobile – Android Phones and Tablets”. In Northbrook, (12497A Hwy 41, Unit 3), they will also offer “Basic Computers - Windows 10” but switch up the mobile training to “Managing Your IPAD, IPhone or IPOD”. See the flyer insert in this paper for more details or visit www.connectionsadultlearning.ca.

To make this happen, Connections will need the community’s help. It’s looking for 10 or more volunteers (Digital Coaches), to help deliver training and support to the programs’ participants. It will provide technology training to the Digital Coaches, as well as training in adult learning processes.

Additionally, to advise on content, recruitment, effectiveness and evaluation, Connections is recruiting six volunteers who can commit to four hours a month for a Project Advisory Committee.

Some examples of people who will benefit from the project are: the student who can’t use the Internet to do their school assignment; someone who can’t apply online for Ontario Works or Employment Insurance; seniors who can’t use social media to connect with their children and grandchildren; anyone who isn’t able to list their item for sale online; and the resident who can’t use online banking.

Connections needs you. Whether you want to learn more about computers and other digital technology or if you have digital talents to share, give Connections Adult Learning a call (Sharbot Lake 613-279-2499 or Northbrook 613-336-0691/866-402-8347);check them out on Facebook or drop in to see them at the addresses above.

(Note - in the paper version of this article the address of Connections Adult Learning centre was erroneously listed as 4719 Hwy. 7)

Taking a cue from a campaign in Kingston, the Leadership in Training volunteers with the Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) Youth program have set up collection baskets at three locations in Sharbot Lake to encourage donations of toiletries for the North Frontenac Food Bank.

“Many people don't realize that it is not just food that people need from the food bank, but items like toilet paper, toothpaste, razors, and soap are also important,” said Brian Dunford, youth co-ordinator with NFCS.

Leadership in Training (LIT) is a program at NFCS that is funded by the United Way. Youth are volunteering at the NFCS summer program and at other programs throughout the year.

“It was our LITs who had the idea for the Toilet Paper the Town project,” said Dunford. “They have developed materials for the campaign, and have placed collection bins and written materials explaining the program.”

Bins are located at Sharbot Lake Pharmasave, the NFCS adult building (behind the Oso Hall) and the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre. The group is looking for new locations as well.

The program is set to run until August 18, the date of the annual NFCS Community Barbeque, when a presentation will be made to the North Frontenac Food Bank.

“We kind of have a soft deadline for this on the 18th, said Dunford, “but we may keep it going after that.”

Josh Bennett is a young man doing an old job.

Happiest when he’s covered in dirt from working the land, Josh is the fifth generation of his family to work as a farmer.

“I like tending to the animals and doing crops,” the friendly 18-year-old confirms from his family’s sheep farm, which covers 600 acres in Inverary, Ontario. “I like being outdoors.”

Filled with plans to continue his family’s tradition of selling sheep meat/wool and cash crops, Josh is poised to leave the farm behind to embark on a post-secondary education.

For some, it is bittersweet to leave what you love just to learn how to do it better.

For Josh, he’s grateful for a show-of-support from the farming community.

“It will help a lot,” he says with sincerity about a recent grant from the Frontenac Federation of Agriculture (FFA).

“I appreciate the help.”

The FFA says Josh qualified for the $500 education bursary because of his farming background and five years with 4-H.

Josh intends to use the money to pay for two years of agriculture classes at Ridgetown Campus near London, Ontario.

With a focus on agriculture, food, the environment and rural communities, the campus is a division of the University of Guelph. It has been part of the Ontario Agriculture College since 1997.

Once he earns his diploma, Josh will return to the family farm to continue raising more than 1,800 sheep.

“Josh is a good guy and we feel we have a good representative from Frontenac County to go on to Ridgetown,” says President Gary Gordon when asked about the FFA’s opinion of this year’s award winner.

Speaking on behalf of the FFA, which is composed of farmers across Frontenac County who volunteer their time to act as the frontline of a national organization, he notes, “This farm is one to try new technology, which we like to see.

“He’s going to be the fifth generation (of his family) on the farm,” says Gary, impressed.

“We’re very pleased.”