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Monday, 18 November 2019 11:48

NAEC Trick or Eat 

The students of North Addington Education Centre suited up on October 31st in their Campbell’s Soup Costumes, to collect items for the food bank.

About ten secondary students were spread out between Flinton, Northbrook, and Cloyne to collect non-perishable food items, instead of tricking or treating for candy. The students are not strangers to supporting the community who supports them.

This is the ninth year for the very successful event. We visited as many households as possible, but we know that some houses were missed- especially those on back roads, and in Northbrook. The wet weather slowed us down. If you have food that you would like for us to pick up, please call Candice Bovard throughout the week at 613-336-8991.

On behalf of students and staff, the vice-principal, Bill Dowling, would like to thank the community for their contributions to our food drive efforts over the years: “It’s great to see the students wanting to take care of, and invest in their community. Thank you for helping us build resilient children. We appreciate your continued support toward this very worthwhile cause”.

Items can also be dropped off at North Addington, in the main office.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

On 18 June, the 41 members of the Lions Club of Land O’Lakes donated $10,000.00 to Pine Meadow Nursing Home and $500.00 to the local Scouts/Guide Club during their last General Meeting and dinner of their fiscal year (July/June). PMNH has received $145,000.00 from the Lions since 1993. Shown above is Margaret Palimaka, PMNH Administrator receiving the cheque from Outgoing Lion President Kerry Skipper.

Including the above, the Club donated $24,125.00 this fiscal year to: Mazinaw Swim Club $1,000.00; Alzheimer Society $500.00; North Addington Education Centre (NAEC) Bursary $1,000.00; NAEC ManUp Club $1,000.00; NAEC Soccer $500.00; LOLCS Xmas Hamper $500.00; Red Cross Ottawa Tornado $2,000.00; Napanee Hospital $500.00; Kingston University Hospital; $500.00; Canadian Institute for the Blind $500.00; Canadian Legion $75.00; PMNH in Memoriam $50.00; Lions Dog Guide $1,000.00, Lions Club International Foundation Canada LC|F(C) $1,500.00; and $3,000.00 in kind to LARC (mLennox and Addington Resource for Children).

In the words of incoming President Phil Barchard, this Lions Club has become the envy of many and is the best organization to belong to North of Seven. Two new members, Kathy and Gary Shortt were inducted during the evening and other applicants are awaiting the Board’s

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 13:23

Limestone Achievers

Aurora French (Granite Ridge Education Centre), Rachel Cumming (North Addington Education Centre), and Rebecca Hillis (Sydenham High School) were among the Limestone Achiever Award winners for the 2018/2019 year.

Here are some excerpts from the testimonial letters, written on their behalf, from staff at their respective schools.

Aurora French

Aurora is extremely intelligent, articulate and talented in multiple subjects, while being humble and an excellent role model for her fellow students. Her diligence, excellent learning skills and perseverance are evident as she sets high standards for herself, and she is committed to seeing them through to fruition.

Aurora has been an integral member of student council and extra-curricular teams. She is also a vital part of our athletic program. As a team member, she is encouraging and extremely positive, but do not let her quiet demeanour mislead you as she is a fierce competitor who pushes herself to her full potential.

Along with these significant in-school contributions, Aurora has been actively involved in her community. She has been involved in fundraising for a number of charities, including the Canadian Cancer Society. She has consistently volunteered for the Blue Skies Kids Arts Camp, encouraging young people to be creative.

Rachel Cumming

Rachel is a hard-working student who is dedicated to her learning. She is continually looking for feedback and for new learning opportunities. Her academic drive has allowed Rachel to experience success in all classes. She has been a leader for the volleyball, badminton, track and field and softball teams. This volleyball season, Rachel broke her foot the first game of the season. She showed commitment to her team and leadership by continuing to come to practices and games, acting as an assistant coach until she was well enough to play again.

She has keen interest in photography and works hard at home, and on her own time, to improve her photography skills. Rachel’s academic drive also extends to her hobbies. Rachel strives to continually improve and deepen her understanding and skill in photography and graphic arts. She rises to challenges and has represented our school, winning back-to-back gold at the Limestone Skills Competition for photography and qualifying to represent our region at the Provincial Skills Competition.

She is the student council president, and is not afraid to take charge and make her opinion known. Rachel shows this commitment to her community while balancing high marks and also maintaining a part-time job.

Rebecca Hillis

Rebecca’s passion is in the arts, music and drama, and her grades in these subjects certainly reflect this. She has used her incredible talent as a vocal musician in numerous ways. She has led sing songs by the campfire on student leadership retreats, sang with the Glee Club, performed solos at Remembrance Day assemblies and toured LDSB schools with the school band. Rebecca has performed at LDSB board meetings, former Director Hunter’s retirement, athletic events and most impressively has performed at three Limestone Learning Foundation Crystal Ball Galas. Rebecca plans to continue her academic pursuits at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Bachelor of Music program where she auditioned in Voice – Soprano.

Athletically, Rebecca is a member of the cross country and track and field teams. She has competed in both sports in each of her years at high school. Not only a competitive athlete, Rebecca is an incredible role model and mentor for younger teammates. In a confident, caring and respectful manner, and as a senior leader, she responds to the complex needs of Para - ID athletes on the school team (many of whom go on to compete at the provincial level). Rebecca is a true role model, providing assistance and leadership to ensure these athletes are on time, warmed up and ready to compete. Her contributions to this program are invaluable. She has an innate ability to recognise the needs of others, then formally and informally lead when necessary.

The staff of Sydenham High School would like to thank Rebecca for her contributions and congratulate her on this accomplishment.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 01 May 2019 11:25

New Playground for NAEC 

On Friday, April 26, 2019, students and staff at North Addington Education Centre gathered around for the unveiling of the new playground, donated and installed by The Township of North Frontenac. Principal Bonham-Carter as he gave a speech expressing NAEC's gratitude towards everyone that helped make it happen, especially the Parent Council and Mrs Salmond (the former principal), joined by Mayor Ron Higgins and Deputy Mayor Fred Perry. Once the ribbon to the playground was cut, students of all ages surrounded the structure with excitement. Caitlyn, a grade five student at NAEC exclaimed, "I love it! This is so awesome and I am really excited to play on it!"

Corey Klatt, Manager of Community Development at North Frontenac explained in an interview how the project all started. The Township was originally planning to install a new playground in Cloyne at the Ball Diamond and Tennis Court facility, but when the council heard that NAEC did not have one at the school for younger students, they arranged to install one there instead. "It was discussed that a playground would be well used at the school and well maintained," he said. As a closing remark when asked how he felt about the success of the project, Mr. Klatt said, "It felt excellent to see the students so excited about the playground today and we are pleased that everyone will be able to enjoy it for years to come."

The playground is a big hit among the students and staff of NAEC, and the generosity of The Township of North Frontenac is greatly appreciated by all.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 03 April 2019 13:14

GREC hosts archery championships

The GREC gym somewhat resembled a mediaeval competition last Thursday as the Gryphons hosted teams from Holy Cross Secondary in Kingston, the North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne and Percy Centennial Public School in Warkworth for a National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) championship.

“The program was designed in Kentucky and now we have 18 million kids participating worldwide,” said Tim Watts, who helps run the program in Ontario. “And not one insurance claim.”

Safety is paramount for obvious reasons. The participants are regulated and told when to approach the shooting line, when to shoot and when to retrieve their arrows.

Watts said all shooters use the same Mathews compound bows.

“That’s so a Grade 4 can hand the bow to a grade 12 and not have to adjust anything,” he said.

There are 125 schools in Ontario active in the program and more than 500 teachers trained, he said.

“The schools purchase the equipment (at 65 per cent of retail) and we train their teachers,” he said.

Shawn Lavender and Jamie McCullough run the program at GREC.

“This is our 4th year participating in the tournament,” said McCullough. “This is our second live and we’ve been in two virtual tournaments.

“When we found out they were looking for a host site, we offered ours.”

“Archery addresses students that don’t normally participate in group sports,” said Lavender. “It’s a bit of a niche in that you’re competing for a personal best all the time.

“And there’s a lot of camaraderie.”

He said they had six archers when they began and have 15 now, including students in the community program members.

“We’re trying to offer a variety of sports,” said McCullough. “Including ultimate frisbee and we even have a fishing team.”

They even lured retired teacher, Tom Corneil, out of retirement to help out with the younger members.

“I enjoy archery,” he said. “You can do it anywhere.

“And giving people an opportunity to participate is what teaching is all about.

“I like watching the kids participate, smile and improve.”

Senior student Tyee Davis is one of those participants.

“I’ve been shooting since I was three years old with a little plastic bow,” he said. “Archery is just really fun in general but it also connects me to my Native ancestors.

“And it’s good practice for hunting.”

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

The Land O’Lakes Garden Club (LOLGC) is a very active group in our community. Our members come from not only Cloyne, Northbrook and Flinton, but Plevna, Verona, Belleville, Whitby and beyond. Many of our members live in the area but others are cottagers who also love it here.

Not too many of us are “master” gardeners but what we have in common is our interest in making flowers or vegetables grow, whether in pots, hangers, rock gardens or right in the soil. The joy of picking the flowers or harvesting the vegetables is unmistakable.

In 2017, our group painted the 13 Provincial and Territorial Flowers as part of the 150th Celebration of Canada’s Confederation. These plaques can be seen every year from June to October on the exterior walls of the Cloyne Pioneer Museum. We also donated a bench and planted many of the trees in the Benny’s Lake Park, which is adjacent to the museum. We honoured the First Nations by arranging for the design and installation of a large Turtle Island Plaque which explains the significance of this area. It can be enjoyed year-round in this same park.

In 2018, we had another busy year in that we replaced the 25 Planter Boxes, which can be seen in front of many of our local businesses. We in fact made 30, so if any business is interested, please contact us by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We host many interesting speakers at our meetings, which are held in the Pineview Free Methodist Church (Hwy 41 in Cloyne), on the second Thursday of each month, from April to October at 7:00pm. Our first meeting will be April 11th with a presentation by Tim Hobbs and Donna Pass who will talk about “Rediscovering Daylilies” - just the topic after this long cold winter.

Other guest speakers:

May 9th Joe and Hazel Cook from Blossom Hill Nursery in Peterborough. “Peonies -Discover the Passion”

June 13th Cheryl Harrison, Master Gardener from Campbellford “The Many Wonders of Mulch”

July 11th Laura Moses from Seeleys Bay “Pots that Wow”

August 8th Jennifer Nash from Prosperity Acres in Corbyville “The Best Dirt, why Compost is so Important”

September 12th Doug McCrae from Brighton Backyard Birds “Bird feeding, habitats and Native Plants for Birds”

October 10th Deanna Groves from Quinte Botanical Gardens “How the Gardens were created and why we did them”

Besides our regular meetings, we help to maintain the gardens in the Pioneer Cemetery in Cloyne and the Township Halls in Cloyne, Harlowe and Flinton. One of our most rewarding projects is at the Seniors’ home, Pine Meadow, in Northbrook, where we rake, cleanup and plant the gardens and boxes for the residents to enjoy. Two of our members make up and deliver flower arrangements at Easter and Christmas for the homebound clients of the Meals on Wheels program. We have started to partner with the Lennox and Addington Resources for Children (LARC) in developing and running a one-day speciality program that involves the children in a plant/garden related activity. Last Spring we made fairy gardens with the children and in December had live pine trees for them to decorate for Christmas, with the idea that they will replant them when the soil thaws. We hope that these activities will start an interest in gardening and the love of what nature provides. Every year, we make 400-500 corsages which we hand out at our local Santa Claus Parade. We donate to the Lions Club and Community Services so that Christmas gifts can be bought for young children and teenagers. We give a Scholarship award at our local High School every year to a student planning a career in Horticultural, Landscape Design, Forestry, Agricultural and Environmental studies and who is recommended by the North Addington Education Centre (NAEC).

One of our biggest events is our Plant Sale, which will be held on Saturday, May 25th starting at 9:00am at the Barrie Community Hall in Cloyne. This is a very popular event, so come early to purchase organic vegetable, herb and flower plants which have been grown and then donated by our members so you know that they are acclimatized to our unique environment of rock and soil. The proceeds go back to help us maintain our ongoing projects in our community.

 

 

We welcome guests to our monthly meetings, so please come and check us out and hopefully join our active group as you do not need to be a gardener to enjoy our topics and our enthusiastic membership.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Wednesday, 15 November 2017 10:06

NAEC Remembrance Day Assembly

North Addington Education Centre’s Remembrance Day Assembly was attended by Elementary and Secondary students, alumni, representatives from the Legion, members of the community, and a group of soldiers from 2 Service Battalion, Garrison Petawawa.

The M.C.s were Alyssa Borger, Julia Cuddy and Ally Maschke, and they remained cool in the face of sudden changes in the proceedings.

The NAEC choir led the assembly in the a capella singing of “O, Canada”, including some lovely harmony.

“In Flanders Fields” was read in English by Eloura Johnson and Levi Meeks, and in French by Jazmin Marcotte and Yanik Drouin. Kaden Snider read “We Shall Keep the Faith”, a response to “In Flanders Fields”. Avery Cuddy and Rachel Cumming read two very different accounts of the experiences of women in World War II.

Students were pleased to have a visit from 2 Service Battalion, Garrison Petawawa. Master Corporal Juneau placed a wreath on behalf of the visitors, and Master Warrant Officer Barrett spoke to the students about the need to remember the efforts of the past.

The soldiers enjoyed a lunch prepared by the cafeteria, and also chatted with students who were having their own lunches. Various groups of soldiers visited a range of classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12, answering questions about their experiences, as well as playing volleyball with some of the students.

Ms. Ohlke, one of the Kindergarten teachers, said of their classroom visit, 'The soldiers got a chance to see the students being good listeners in their own environment. These wonderful young men answered so many great questions and put the icing on the cake when they demonstrated a military retreat with perfect precision, complete with barked orders, stamped boots and salutes. They looked as happy doing it as the kids watching. I think they just got 20 new recruits'.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Wednesday, 08 November 2017 17:06

NAEC Trick or Eat - results

The students of North Addington Education Centre suited up on October 31st in their Campbell’s Soup Costumes, to collect items for the food bank. For the second time ever, items were collected in Denbigh, for the Denbigh Food Bank.

About ten secondary students were spread out between Flinton, Northbrook, Cloyne, and Denbigh to collect non-perishable food items, instead of tricking or treating for candy. The students are not strangers to supporting the community who supports them.
This is the seventh year for the very successful event. We visited as many households as possible, but we know that some houses were missed- especially those on back roads, or not in a very central area. If you have food that you would like for us to pick up, please call Candice Bovard throughout the week at 613-336-8991.

On behalf of students and staff, the principal, Angela Salmond, would like to thank the community for their contributions to our food drive efforts over the years: “I always have a feeling of tremendous pride when students come to my door, excitedly telling me about all of the food they have collected, and how families have bags or boxes ready at the door. Thank you to the community for continually supporting this event and investing in our children”.

Items can also be dropped off at North Addington, or the Denbigh Medical Centre.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Thursday, 26 October 2017 14:26

NAEC Adds Denbigh to Trick or Eat!

The students of North Addington Education Centre will be suiting up in their Campbell’s Soup costumes on October 31st and knocking on your door! They will be asking for non-perishable food items which will be donated to the local food bank, which is experiencing a shortage of food. About ten secondary students will be spreading out between Flinton, Northbrook, Cloyne, and Denbigh to collect non-perishable food items, instead of tricking or treating for candy. This is the second year that Denbigh will be participating, and all items from Denbigh will be donated to the Denbigh Food Bank.

The students are not strangers to supporting the community who supports them. This is the seventh year for the very successful event. We’re asking community members to contribute what they can. We will have three to four students canvassing each community between approximately 4:30 and 8:00pm. They will be wearing soup costumes and a very large smile. We are going to visit as many households as possible, but if you have contributions and the food is not picked up, please call Candice Bovard throughout the week at 613-336-8991 and we will pick it up, or items can be dropped off at the school.

On behalf of students and staff, the principal, Angela Salmond, would like to thank the community for their contributions to our food drive efforts over the years: “This event has become a staple in our school- students are quick to offer their help. We couldn’t do this without the parents who drive around and assist- it truly takes a community to raise children who understand the importance of helping one another”.

If you see students in the community and they are ‘trick or eating’, feel free to ask them to sing or dance for your donation; they are prepared to work for your generosity!

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Thursday, 12 October 2017 10:22

NAEC surpasses Terry Fox goal

NAEC students turned out in force on Thursday, September 28, to raise money in the annual Terry Fox Run. Student’s Council set a goal of $2,500 in sponsorships. The money has all been collected, and the final tally comes to $3,019.25 – over $500 higher than the goal.
As well as obtaining sponsorships, 48 students and staff bought Terry Fox T-shirts, which also contributed to the fundraising.

Ms. Shepherd’s class won free breakfasts for raising the most Secondary money, while Ms. Dunham’s class won free sundaes for being the top Elementary earners.
Greg Garey, Alexus Wagner, Henry Hasler, Raistlin Lloyd, Avery Gaylord, and Maggie Hasler raised $100 or more each.

“We are very proud that our little school was able to meet and exceed an ambitious target,” remarked Angela Salmond, Principal. “It just shows what can happen when the whole school works together.”

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
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With the participation of the Government of Canada