On June 6, Prince Charles Public School held their Panther Palooza. The annual event Palooza is a chance for the Verona community to come together for some Friday evening fun and to fundraise for the school, which is looking this year to purchase new school sports team uniforms and a new sound system.

Palooza is now in its fourth year and was resurrected after a one-year absence. It is put on by the special events committee of the school's parent council, and included performances by the 11 student finalists in a talent show that took place earlier in the week. Students played musical instruments and sang and danced on the large stage set up behind the school specially for the event. Youngsters also had a chance to enjoy a number of games, a petting zoo and barbecue. Inside the school guests had a chance to bid on a number of items, all donated by individuals and local businesses, and a live auction was held outdoors that offered up special theme baskets created by students in each class. Long lines formed in front of school principal, Peter Dendy, who offered up his face as a target for the sponge toss while the locally beloved band Bauder Road performed rock/country favorites from their polished repertoire.

Nicki Gowdy, who chairs the special events committee with the parent council, said that Panther Palooza is a great way to wrap up the school year, raise funds for the school, and also for the entire community to get together and enjoy some fair weather outdoor fun.

Students at Prince Charles Public School in Verona had no idea that Canadian Olympic gold medalist and NHLer Mike Smith would be joining them when they gathered in the school’s gym for a meeting about their upcoming Relay for Life event.

The surprise visit on May 30 was organized

by grade one/two teacher, Lisa Cousins-Badour, who knows the Smith family well and used to baby-sit Mike when he was a youngster. The students were delighted when Mike appeared at the side door of the gym with his Olympic gold medal in hand.

Smith, who plays in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes, was goalie number three for the Canadian Olympic team at the 2014 games in Sochi, where the team won Olympic gold. Students had a chance to see both Mike and his medal up close as he made his way through the crowd of overjoyed students, who requested autographs and photos with the former PCPS student.

Smith got his start in hockey playing floor hockey as a young student at PCPS. He fielded numerous questions from the students, who asked him how he felt at the Sochi games; how the experience changed him; when he began playing hockey; about his musical tastes and more. Smith answered the questions with honesty and charm and had special advice for the youngsters: “My advice to you kids is this - no matter what you like to do, be it art, sports, music, whatever, always remember that if you put your mind to it, work hard, set your goals and stick to them, anything is possible.”

Smith had skyped with PCPS students prior to Sochi and he said that he never tires of visiting with students at his former school. Since his return home after the regular NHL season, he has been busy meeting with fans who want to visit with him and see his Olympic medal. “Every time I come back here the kids are more excited than the last time and to be here now with a gold medal around my neck is a real dream come true.”

Mike is not the only Olympian in his family. His wife Brigitte skied at both the Turin and Vancouver Olympics and her mother skied at the Sapporo games in Japan. However, he said humorously that he is the only member of the family with the “official gold medal bragging rights”.

Smith got his start in the NHL with the Dallas Stars and has played most recently as goalie with the Phoenix Coyotes. He said that this past NHL season with the Coyotes was a bit of a disappointment. “We missed the playoffs and a chance to compete for the cup, which of course is the goal. But we had some injuries; we just couldn't find our consistency and lacked a couple of points at the end of the season, but next year is a new year.”

Before last season ended Smith extended his contract with the Coyotes to stay on for another six years, which he said will be beneficial to his young family. He and his wife Brigitte have two young sons and a third baby is on the way. Smith said that being a part of the Olympic team was a dream come true and over the next four years he hopes to improve his game so that he may reach his ultimate goal of playing at the next Olympic games.

However, he did say that even if he does not get another opportunity to play at the Olympics, his experience at Sochi will be an experience that he will never forget.

Olympian Mike Smith got a send off to Sochi like no other! Mike is one of the three goalies who made the cut to play for the Canadian Olympic hockey team and on February 6 his former school, Prince Charles Public School in Verona, gave him a wonderful pep rally. The gym was packed with not only students and staff but also community members. With the great wonders of technology Mike was there via a Skype link that was set up by his supportive parents, Ingrid and Ron Smith. They were invited to the school by PCPS teacher Lisa Cousins-Badour, who wanted to help the students celebrate with Mike and his family.

Students had prepared for the day by decorating the school's main foyer and gym with 250 paper NHL jerseys, each inscribed with Mike's NHL number 41. Mr. Burnham's grade 8 class made a special banner wishing Mike luck at the games. Each student was given their very own Canadian flag to wave as Ingrid Smith set up the Skype connection with her son, who was in Phoenix at the time, which was then projected onto a large screen. Once the connection was made, the students began by chanting a number of cheers that they had prepared, one of them ending with the line “Go For Gold!”

The children were also able to ask him many questions including "Hey Mike, what are you packing in your suitcase?" and "Mike how do you keep fit?". The good-natured Veronaian had no problem replying... "Well of course my hockey equipment and I always start the day by having over 300 hockey pucks shot at me!"  He also said he would be using a brand new helmet that he had designed specially for the Olympic games.

Grade 7 student Olivia Minifie asked Mike how he planned to cope with the stress and pressure that competing in the Olympics can bring. Mike answered that he counts on his family for their support, which helps to relieve the stress and to keep him focused. Grade 2 student Clare Swinton asked Mike if his family would be joining him. He explained that the following Sunday he would be joined in Atlanta, Georgia by his parents (they have since made the trip to Sochi with him). Mike's wife Brigitte (a former Olympian herself) and their two young sons, both toddlers, would remain behind in Verona.

Mike spoke to the students of his days as a young student at PCPS and his dreams of going to Olympics as a hockey player, and of how he is now living that dream. He spoke of the importance of following your dream and encouraged the PCPS students to follow their own dreams and do their best to make them a reality.

Mike related to the students that even if he did not get a chance to get onto the ice at the games, he would be practicing with the team and that the experience of being chosen to be a part of the team will be something he will always cherish and be proud of.

After Mike thanked the students for all of their support, the school's principal, Peter Dendy, promised that should Mike play in any of the games, he would do his best to broadcast the games in the school gym and would invite all the students and members of the community to the school to watch. Mike's mother Ingrid spoke as well and became emotional, thanking the community for their ongoing support for Mike over the years.

Teacher Lisa Cousins-Badour, who organized the event, said one of her aims was to make the 2014 Olympics a more tangible and real experience for the students at the school.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and one to take advantage of and I wanted the students to be able to have a chance to make the experience an even more special and personal one."

She added that she wanted the students to also understand that Mike's dream has come with its own ups and downs, but that all along the way he has received support from his family and the community.

The Olympic men's hockey competition is slated to begin today, February 13.

Verona Festival mascot Cameron the bog lemming and his bog buddies at PCPS

Cameron the Bog Lemming, beloved mascot of the newly renamed Verona Cattail Festival, made a special appearance at Prince Charles Public School in Verona in the hopes of searching out a number of bog buddies to join him in this year's parade. The parade will open the festival on the evening of Friday, August 6 and will proceed along Main Street to this year's new festival location at the Verona Lions Club.

Close to 40 students dressed as butterflies, beavers, lemmings, ladybugs, flowers, skunks, turtles, bees, blueberries and cattails joined Cameron on stage in the school gym. The Verona Community Association (VCA) puts on the annual three-day festival and VCA President Debbie Lingen welcomed all the bog buddies and handed out free ice cream vouchers to each. Cameron chose five lucky winners from the pack, who each received two passes for free admission to all of the scheduled events, which include musical entertainment, the ever popular cardboard duct tape boat races, the vendors' market, canteen, games and much more. Congratulations to Max Orser, Jamie McIlroy, Aurora Black, Alyssa Teal and Keisha Murphy.

Cameron's visit to the school was intended to introduce children to Cameron and the festival and to begin generating interest for what has come to be one of Verona’s major summer events and attractions. Debbie Lingen was pleased with the enthusiastic turnout at the school and said, “The new theme, the Verona Cattail Festival, is a really appropriate name and theme and it gives us a lot of opportunity to introduce some new and exciting ideas this year. It will not only be the only cattail festival in Canada, but likely all of the world. The point of today's event was to bring the festival together with the children of Verona and introduce them to this year’s parade theme ... And as you can see, they have done a really terrific job.”

The 15th Annual Verona Cattail Festival takes place the weekend of August 6, 7 and 8. Admission is $5 for the entire weekend. For more information visit www.veronafestival.com

Prince Charles Public School in Verona has embraced floor ball, the latest international fad in hockey, and judging by the students, it’s a big hit. Billed as “the world's most popular indoor hockey game", it is played by millions of people in over 50 countries world-wide and is also used by many European-born NHL hockey players for their dry land training.

Not only does the game have its own world championship, it is a provisional member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its governing body, the International Floorball Federation, is hoping that it will become a sport in the Summer Olympics in 2020.

Regardless, students at PCPS are enjoying the fast-paced game, which closely resembles floor hockey and ball hockey but is designed as a safer, faster low-cost game. It is played with light-weight plastic sticks and an official hard plastic ball that is also light weight (23 grams to be exact) and similar to a whiffle ball. There is no special equipment required; players can dress in gym shoes, t-shirts and shorts and need wear no other protective clothing except for plastic glasses or goggles.

Photo: Courtesy Janet Revell.

In an effort to bring to life the world of provincial politics in Canada, Prince Charles Public School teacher Janet Revell and her grade 5/6 students invited local candidates to their classroom. This is the second year that Revell has brought the Student Vote program to the school in an effort to bring to life what otherwise might be a rather dry and abstract part of the grade five curriculum. On Monday and Tuesday, September 26 & 27, Green Party candidate Nancy Matte, Liberal candidate Bill MacDonald and NDP candidate Dave Parkhill each visited the school. They presented their platforms and took questions from the students. Based on what they heard, the students then chose to represent one of the candidates and took their platforms to other students in the school in preparation for the student vote.

Revell feels that that the best way to create an awareness of provincial politics in students is to get them involved. “The students were thrilled to meet the candidates and I had the sense that they viewed the candidates who came as celebrities. The enthusiasm the candidates showed really rubbed off on the students and definitely provided them with a deeper understanding of the issues and the entire voting process”, she said.

Her students asked a series of questions to each candidate, such as: Why did you go into politics? Will you be raising taxes? How will your party improve education, health care and help to promote a healthy environment? Two groups of students from the class, each representing one of the four candidates, then took what they learned and presented it to the other classrooms in the school. On October 4 the students then cast their votes in a mock poll, complete with two scrutineers, a poll officer and a deputy officer. The Student Vote program has gained a foothold in many local area schools and student polls also took at Land O' Lakes PS in Mountain Grove and at Sharbot Lake Public School.

Photo: Mr. Schneider's grade 2/3 class at PCPS

Students at Prince Charles PS in Verona had a chance to win a cake and eat it too as they and their families got creative in the kitchen, baking cakes for the school’s annual Valentine’s Day cake raffle.

The cakes came in all shapes, colours and sizes and every student had a chance to bid on their favorites. The event is a fundraiser for the Parent Council at PCPS and helps them put on regular events like the Grade 8 graduation, the school-wide free skate at the Frontenac Community Arena, the pancake breakfast and also to purchase gym equipment.

Nicki Gowdy, who chairs the Parent Council said, “The kids absolutely love it and it is a chance for them to be creative in the kitchen.”

Photo:Caroline, Brodey and Sarah

Nicki Gowdy, parent council chair at Prince Charles Public School in Verona, would not let the last-minute cancellation of a dunk tank dampen the festive spirit at this year’s Panther Palooza.

So an eleventh hour brain-storming session gave birth to the “wet sponge toss” event, which by far proved to be one of the most popular at this year’s Palooza. Principal Frank Girard, Prince Charles’ fearless leader, smilingly took a 15-minute turn “in the hole” and was repeatedly lambasted with soaking wet sponges. That event on its own likely raised a considerable portion of the total $2,800 that was raised on June 17.

Mrs. Gowdy was “tickled pink” with this year’s Palooza, which after a one-year hiatus, came back with a vengeance and once again proved to be the parent council’s biggest and most profitable fundraising event of the year. A plethora of additional engaging children’s activities entertained the youngsters, and throughout the evening the 10 top acts from the school’s talent show, which had been held earlier in the week, peppered the set of local band favorites Bauder Road. Also worth mentioning were the themed gift baskets compiled by each class in the school, which attracted countless wannabe winners.

The funds raised this year will go towards sprucing up the outdoor play area, more specifically on the sand box area, picnic tables and new outdoor toys for the younger students. Kudos to the parent council and staff at the school, to all who came out to the event and to all of the members of the community who generously donated their time, talents, and trinkets to help support this year’s Palooza.

Prince Charles Public School in Verona recently extended its recycling program by reaching out to different community organizations as part of their Panthers' Pride and EcoSchool programs.

The Panthers’ Pride program aims to encourage students to take care of each other and others in the community and directly ties into the community outreach section of the Ontario EcoSchool program, which is now in its second year at the school.

For the first time at the school, students have begun collecting plastic milk bags, which are sent to church volunteers who crochet them into sleeping mats. The mats are then sent to a warehouse in Mississauga from where the organization Canadian Food for Children sends them out to various countries. Students are also collecting pop can tabs for various organizations, who use them to raise funds to buy wheelchairs and other products.

Used eye glasses, winter mittens and hats have also been collected for those who cannot afford them. Used batteries are also being collected and are sent through the Limestone District School board to area recycling depots.

Kevin Wenkoff, who teaches French at the school, has taken over the EcoSchool program at Prince Charles this year. The program awards points to participating schools in five different areas of achievement, which include teamwork and leadership, energy conservation, waste minimization, school grounds greening, and curriculum and environmental stewardship. Based on their achievements in each category the schools are then awarded points, and based on their score are given either a bronze, silver or gold rating.

This year Prince Charles’ grade 5/6 class French class is leading the school’s Eco team. Students are raising worms to be used for composting and there are also plans this year to continue greening up the school grounds. Students will be involved in a number of initiatives this spring, which will include extending a natural section of the playground in the back of the school, transplanting shades trees, and planting a variety of low maintenance vegetables in a garden plot. The program not only teaches students to care for the environment by reducing their material and energy consumption and reducing landfill waste, but also to care for others in the community by reaching out to those who might not be able to afford basic necessities.

“The community outreach part of Panthers’ Pride is an awareness program that invites the students to take action. It's symbolic of the greater need that people around the world have and it opens up the students’ eyes to those needs,” said Wenkoff.

The Eco team at the school will also be starting their boomerang lunches, which aim to minimize food and packaging waste in students’ lunches.

“The environmental issues of the program of course are huge”, said Wenkoff, “and while we are aiming to conserve energy and minimize waste, the ultimate goal here is to plant the seeds that enable the students to make choices in the future as they get older.”

Wenkoff has seen a difference in the students attitudes towards waste this year. “But really, what we have to keep in mind is that this is a long range project. Where at first I thought that we could make a huge impact on land fill, I now see that what we are making here at the school is a small impact. But we need to remember how that can snow ball into something bigger down the road as the students' imaginations run with it,” he said.

Olivia Minifie and Jack Revell, both grade 6 students at PCPS and part of the Eco team expressed their thoughts on the program.

“I like working with the worms,” Jack said. “The program is great because we are helping to keep the planet greener. We have a garden at our house and have worms and plant vegetables and my sister and I have been ones feeding the worms here at the school, which has been really fun.”

Asked what the program has taught her, Olivia said, “I've learned a lot about recycling and never knew before that milk bags could be used to make sleeping mats.” Both students said that they hope this year to earn a gold certificate in the EcoSchool program at PCPS.