Photo: Principal Jim Horan (retired), Chantal Lafrance, Virginia Mayhew, Principal Val Arsenault, Janice Miles and Jim Boyce.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) the body that administers standardised student testing in Ontario, has granted a Dr. Bette Stephenson Recognition of Achievement honour to Harrowmsith Public School in recognition of the high level of grade 3 and 6 test scores achieved by the students at the school.

The honour was bestowed at a ceremony on November 7 at the school.

Harrowsmith PS was also singled out as a case study on the journey of learning in an article publicized on the EQAO website. The article talked about some of the measures taken at Harrowsmith “to set very high goals and make them public” in the words of now retired principal, Jim Horan. An outline of some of the early literacy initiatives is reprinted below:

“Five years ago, in response to a review of in-school and EQAO data, Harrowsmith launched a well-publicized community literacy campaign for pre-kindergarten and primary students, which spilled out into the community. The Limestone Learning Foundation, for example, funded a Book-in-a-Bag home reading program for primary students and supplied an abundance of reading materials and “Blast Off ” boxes, allowing Harrowsmith to reach out to parents before their children even entered school … In addition, primary staff and the school council co-hosted literacy evenings during which teachers modelled shared reading strategies to be used at home. Again parental response was overwhelming.”

These initiatives have been coupled with a “focussed, logical progression of school improvement strategies based on systematic longitudinal tracking of individual data through multiple assessment instruments” according to the EQAO article.

The result has been scores that are well above the average for the Limestone Board and the province as a whole

Photo: Austin (left), a student in Aaron West’s grade 5/6 class at SLPS, rehearses a presentation on outer space that he will give to his class using the SMART Board.

Aaron West’s grade 5/6 class at Sharbot Lake Public School is abuzz with the latest addition to their classroom; a cutting edge piece of computer technology known as SMART Board. The device, which combines the simplicity of a white board with the power of a computer, is the first and only one at the school, and ever since it arrived in mid-November has been a focus for students in Mr. West’s class. The tool functions essentially as a giant, oversized computer screen, the difference being that it allows students to interact with the latest computer technology by manipulating the screen and the information displayed on it by either using their fingers or a pointer. The device offers students interactive teaching tools in a limitless number of subjects. “The beauty of the SMART Board is that it increases student engagement and interaction and increases their attention,” Mr. West said.

“The fact that the students have a chance to get out of their seats, come up to the board, touch it and manipulate it has really increased their understanding in a number of different areas. It's also a great tool for students who tend to be more physically active and who may have trouble staying in their seats and focusing for longer lengths of time. The other bonus is that it is a tool that can be 100% student directed so instead me standing at the front of the class making a presentation, students can use it on their own, creating, presenting, and discovering new things on their own.”

Right now in math the students are studying three-dimensional shapes and with the board have the ability to investigate the shapes in various dimensions. They are able to manipulate them and view them from various angles. “The SMART Board also gives the students a chance to experience the type of technology that they will go on to use in high school, university and college at later date,” Mr. West said.

The board comes with various applications and software and also includes a website where SMART Board lesson plans can be shared amongst teachers who have developed lesson plans specifically for it. For Mr. West, who concedes that he is “heavily into computers and the latest cutting edge technology”, the new $3,000 device was “a logical next step and addition to the classroom and the possibilities it offers are absolutely endless.”

SLPS principal David Allison had seen the device at Clarendon Public School in Plevna and was won over. “We felt it would be a great addition to the school. The learning opportunities are limitless and we are seeing the kids become engaged in ways that they were just not before.”

The new device has been welcomed enthusiastically by the students, which is the ultimate proof in the pudding. When I visited the classroom students were rehearsing their upcoming multimedia presentations about outer space and many will be using the SMART Board to make their presentations. “I love it”, said Alexi. “You can do so much with it; you can write and draw on it. It’s just a lot of fun to use and it’s bigger and better than what we had before.”

Photo: Johnny Vinkle hitting, (check out the height) with Skyler Howes and Callum McGregor covering the hit. Photo courtesy of Diana Billingsley

The Senior Boys Panthers headed to Mackenzie High school in Deep River on November 17 after winning two in eight of their KASSAA season. The team was seeded sixth at the EOSSA tournament and played Renfrew High School in their first game. Both games were extremely close, though the Panthers lost the first two sets to Renfrew, and in the second game played Rideau HS with Rideau coming out on top in the end, taking the first two set 25-20 and 25-30. Sharbot Lake coach Mark Elliot, who has been coaching volleyball at Sharbot Lake since 1985, was pleased with how the team played. “Our guys played exceptionally well. They picked up most of the other teams’ hits, blocked well and were really powerful at the net.” Elliot said even the opposing team coaches felt the Panthers might have stood a better chance if the circumstances had been a bit different and if our team had been seeded differently. Following the Renfrew game, the opposing coach told Elliott that the Panthers likely could have been third or fourth in the other pool and that if that had been the case, they likely would have made it into the semi final round.

Panthers middle hitter John Vinkle had “a mammoth tournament”, Elliot said. “I have never seen him play that well and everyone had their eyes on him… Setter Skyler Howes also had a great tournament and was consistent throughout.” Hats off to the Panthers who had a great season this year and for making it to EOSSA for their first time since 2003. Coach Elliot is already fired up for next year. “We have a number of juniors coming up so we might just be that much deeper and stronger next year and in fact might just be looking at giving OFSSA a go” Things are looking bright for Senior Boys Volleyball at SLHS.

Special Education is a serious business for the Limestone District Board of Education.

Alison McDonnell, Supervising Principal (Special Education), heads up the program for the board, and dozens of people work in her department at the board office, travelling from school to school, and working in specific schools.

I had occasion to call the board about Special Education after receiving a call last week from a concerned parent whose special needs child had just enrolled in an LDSB school. The child has been diagnosed with a global developmental delay and the parent was concerned that the educational assistant who had worked with his child was being removed just a few weeks into the school year.

When I called the school the next day it turned out that a meeting had already taken place and a plan for the child was in place. The school would not speak about the specific case, as is their policy, but referred me to the board for information

With their own issue resolved, the family also did not want to be identified at this time, but the question that struck me from talking to the family remained: How does a school, a board, determine what the needs are of all of the special needs children that they have the responsibility to educate and care for?

In most cases work is done in advance to identify students coming into school for the first time or moving from school to school and to develop an educational plan for the student.

“It starts in the spring time,” said Marg Akey. “We ask the school to put together a template of needs for the students who are going to require some level of support. We have an excellent transition sharing process with community partners, outside agencies such as Children’s Aid, Community Living, day cares - anyone who provides a service prior to entry to school. Everyone involved participates in a number of meetings, including, the parents.”

Inevitably, however, cases like the one that led me to call the board do come about. Those cases have a name at Limestone – they are ‘lift off lemons’ – lemon being the colour of the ‘Lift off’ form that is filled out when a request for short term supports must be made when a special needs child arrives unexpectedly at a school.

The supports are as varied as the needs, since ‘special needs’ range from the physical, such as hearing or visual impairment or mobility issues, to developmental issues ranging from autism to developmental delays of other kinds.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide the least intrusive supports we can. We must always consider inclusivity, safety and medical needs, and how well we can share supports between children. It is an involved process,” said Akey.

Included in the special needs umbrella are behavioural needs and School to Community classes. School to Community classes are in place at all of the Limestone Board’s high schools and in primary schools where the numbers warrant them.

“We make plans to design our services each year and then we make changes, because we know that needs change,” she said.

“We have no problem spending the $37 million that is allocated by the province,” said Akey. “We have to do our best with finite resources and make sure that each child receives their share of the supports we are able to provide.”

Photo: Sydenham's Golden Eagles soar out of the Panthers reach

Sydenham’s and Sharbot Lake’s junior girls basketball teams squared off in Sharbot Lake on Oct. 20, with the Golden Eagles giving the Panthers a run for their money. Sydenham took an early lead and maintained it throughout, never once giving the Panthers an in, though there was lots of action at both ends of the court. The Panthers played a great passing game but failed to get the ball in deep when it counted and by the end of the first quarter Sydenham was up 10-0. In the second the Golden Eagles’ leading scorers Emily Bennett and Katie McNicols shone bright and scored multiple points, increasing their team’s lead by 19 points. Sharbot Lake’s Anna Baker put the Panthers on the scoreboard late in the quarter for the first time and the quarter ended 23-2. In the third, Sydenham scored another 13 points, widening their lead, and the Panthers scored 4 more, ending the third 34-6. In the final quarter the Panthers turned it on, penetrating the net and scoring six more points, their best in any one quarter but it was too little too late. The Eagles took the game with a final score of 38-12. Panthers’ coach Ben Moser has struggled in the past to get players out for the junior girls’ team, and said he was thrilled to have 13 young and enthusiastic players this year. “We have a very enthusiastic team who are very excited to play. Right now we are working on our offense and while winning is not our focus, the main goal of the year is to improve at every game.” The Panthers, who have yet to win a game this year, are definitely improving and Thursday’s game was in their coach’s estimation “by far their best defensive game to date”.

Sydenham’s co-coach Mark Richards said his team is having a great season so far. Mid-way through the season the Golden Eagles have won 6 and lost just 2. Richard said the team’s strength is their speed and defense and he is currently having the players focus on their fast breaks. High scorers for Sydenham on Thursday were Emily Bennett, who scored 12 and Katie McNichols who scored 8. Richards says he hopes the team improves every game and is working hard to get the Golden Eagles ready for the playoffs.

Photo: Mr. Hulls grade 7/8 class and their gargoyle creations at LOLPS

No one was more surprised by the enthusiasm students had for a recent art project than their teacher, Mr. Lee Hull, who introduced a 3D gargoyle project to students in his grade 7/8 class at Land O' Lakes PS in Mountain Grove. “Two-dimensional art projects are common but I wanted to challenge students with a 3D project that focused more on sculpture than flat 2D design,” he said.

The gargoyle project had students researching these ancient architectural ornaments that first appeared in ancient Greece and Rome and later were common in Gothic architecture all over Europe. Who knew that these grotesque creatures, often hybrids of mythical, god-like and phantasmagorical creatures, also served a functional purpose; for example, as spouts to drain water away from rooftops?

Students spent two and half weeks on the project, first researching the topic, then designing on paper their own gargoyles, which they then set about modeling of clay around a Styrofoam insert mounted on a wooden dowel. “One of their goals was to make sure that their gargoyle was visually interesting from every angle, and to do so, they were encouraged to explore a number of clay techniques including bas relief and other textural surface applications,” Hull said. Like all great art projects, the resulting gargoyles are as individual as the students who created them. There were hybrids of pigs, elephants, birds, dragons, fish, foxes with intricate defining features that included tusks, horns, fins, wings, woven beards, buck teeth, antennae, tentacles, chains, plus a huge variety of horrid noses, mouths, ears and eyes, each caught in various expressions of ghoulish grotesqueness.

The students loved the project and not only learned how to create a three-dimensional work of art from modeling clay, but also about the history of these fascinating architectural ornaments. “While the project is an art project, we were also able to tie language and history into the mix,” Mr. Hull said. He has plans to further the project and will invite each student to write a fable about their creature later in the term. The 26 completed works have been mounted and are currently on display in the school library, just in time for Halloween for students, staff and visitors to the school to marvel at.

For Mr. Hull the project was hugely successful and one that he is sure that his students will remember and learn from. “For a teacher the fun happens in the classroom when students outdo your expectations. Instead of falling back on existing fads and trends, the students came up with their own original ideas and, in doing so, gained confidence in their own abilities. And when this kind of thing happens in the classroom, that is the best part of teaching.”

Photo: Students on the high ropes course

“Leadership camp is a place where preconceived ideas about leadership and other barriers are broken down”, said Sydenham High School teacher and leadership camp staff supervisor, Kim Kippen.

Along with co-staff supervisor, Don Lalonde, Kippen oversaw a two-day camp for 70 Sydenham High School students on Oct. 18 and 19 at Camp IAWAH, located off the Westport Road, east of Godfrey.

The leadership camp, which has been running for years at Sydenham HS, aims to impart leadership skills to students from all areas of the school by offering concrete examples of leadership through a series of hands-on activities and discussions. Groups of students from grades 9 through 11 were invited by teachers to attend the camp.

The camp is led by four teacher-nominated grade 12 students. The four leaders were Calista Vogelzang, Cia Myles-Gonzalez, David Amos and Shayna Joron, and they were supported by additional grade 12 students who supervised the various activities.

This year’s camp theme, initiated by the four camp leaders, was titled “The Next Step” and it was designed for the students to explore and experience the defining qualities of leadership: initiative, perspective, setting goals, teamwork, overcoming obstacles, setting examples, and self-improvement. The ideas were discussed and also demonstrated through a series of activities that each student had a chance to participate in.

For the segment on perseverance and overcoming obstacles, students completed a relay obstacle course where a pair of students was tied together by one hand, and had no choice but to use their communication skills in order to successfully complete the course. Following the obstacle course students discussed what kind of communications worked well and what did not.

On the high ropes course, students faced a number of daunting aerial challenges that had them working in teams suspended on ropes high above the tree tops. Student organizer, David Amos, said he felt that the participating students benefited greatly from the camp. “One important idea they learn is that they are able to set goals for themselves and they also take what they have learned here back into the community.”

Shayna Joron agreed. “These skills can really help them to prepare to face challenges in their own lives.” “And they come to realize that anyone has the ability to become a good leader, even the quiet students,” Calista Vogelzang added.

Sydenham High School teacher, Beth Barz, who coaches with the Queen’s University women’s rugby team, the national rugby program and also at Sydenham High, was invited as the guest speaker. She shared some of the wisdom she has accumulated while attending a workshop for female coaches of national teams, particularly what coach Melody Davidson of the Canadian women’s hockey team imparted to her.

“I spoke to them about how Melody brought the team to victory, first with thorough planning and also by reviewing their performances.”

Beth Barz feels that the camp gives students something they might not otherwise get during regular school hours.

“Anytime students can get out of the school setting they are able to think a little bit differently. They are able to challenge themselves in different ways and this gives them a sense of autonomy over how and what they learn. We are recognizing more and more that students need that autonomy, which sometimes, academically they do not always get.”

Kim Kippen agreed.

“It's an incredible opportunity for students who may have never had this kind of experience before to reevaluate their own preconceived ideas of leadership and what it means. Each student tends to build on what they already know so while each student’s experience at the camp is different, it always tends to be a very positive and memorable one.”

Student organizer David Amos had the final word and mentioned that what likely makes students so eager to participate is that “the whole camp revolves around demonstrating leadership ideas in a really fun environment, which I believe is what makes the camp so successful.” 

Photo: Left to right: Colista McQuigge, Ashley Buls, Rachel Van Dusen, Emma Fuller, Madi Lemke, Aryssa Grant, Megan Cruickshank and Deanna Allen.

Students from NAEC participated in painting a canvas for the Limestone Learning Foundation’s Crystal Ball Gala, which was held October 15, at the K-Rock Centre in Kingston. About 8 schools volunteered for this task.

Canvases from each school had to have a crystal ball in the centre, and a black and silver border. Apart from that, students were free to use their imagination. The NAEC students’ theme was “Diversity Through the Arts”. They chose to make their crystal ball a crystal globe, surrounded by art of different cultures.

Emma Fuller represented India with a picture of the Taj Mahal. Colista McQuigge chose an African musician’s image. Megan Cruickshank depicted Canada’s culture, showing a dog-sled team. Deanna Allen painted a Thai scene, with a dancer and decorated elephant, while Aryssa Grant and Madi Lemke selected a scene featuring a Chinese Dragon parade. The crystal globe and the border were painted by Ashley Buls.

“I was very impressed with the caliber of the work,” remarked Principal Angela Salmond. “I am particularly pleased that the canvas was worked on by both elementary and secondary students, to reflect the unique quality of our school.”

The canvas was received in May, and students started painting right away. They completed the canvas after returning from the summer holiday. Because it was hard for more than one or two students to work on the canvas at once, it was necessary to devise a schedule to get the canvas completed. Students worked in their lunch hours and after school, as well as during the day.

The Sharbot Lake Panthers took on the Marie-Rivier Dragons in back to back junior and seniors games in Sharbot Lake on October 18. The junior Panthers started out strong, winning the first two sets of their game 25-19 and 25-11. It didn't take long, though for the Dragons to finally find their groove and they fought back hard, winning three in a row 25-19, 25-20 and 15-9 and clinching the win. Junior Dragons coach, Christelle Belec, said after the game, “It took the boys the first two sets to get used to the ceiling height and the size of the serving space but after that they played very well.”

In the seniors’ game that followed, the two teams battled hard back and forth, with Sharbot Lake winning the first set 25-20. The Dragons came on strong in the second, proving they were up for a fight, and took the second 25-21. In the third, Panthers Johnny Vinkle and Collum McGregor made multiple thunderous spikes, helping to put the Panthers back on top, and they took the third 25-18, making a win seem imminent. In the fourth the Dragons proved they were not ready to call it a day, and though the Panthers took an early lead, by mid-set they had lost it and were down 6 points, which they could not recover. In the end they lost the set 25-18. In the nail-biting fifth, Sharbot Lake once again took control early with a quick 4-1 lead. The Dragons turned on the fire and by mid-set were leading 7-6. In the end the Panthers were not able to turn it around and the Dragons finished them off with a flick of their tails, winning the final set 15-8 and taking the win.

Photo: 2011 SLHS Valedictorian, Kaitlyn Hannah

Amid countless shout outs of “I love you”, and photo ops taken by family and friends, Sharbot Lake High School graduates of the 2011 school year received their proper due at the school cafeteria on October 7, where there was standing room only. Kaitlyn Hannah, who is currently attending Ottawa University, was chosen as this year’s valedictorian. An ardent reader and writer, Kaitlyn was honoured with numerous awards and bursaries during the evening, including the school’s Writer of the Year Award. She was also recognized for her work on student council as well as on the 30-Hour Famine, Remembrance Day, and the students’ social justice committees. Kaitlyn was also active with the Student Vote movement. SLHS teacher Lorraine Ryan introduced her as an example of “Finding your passion and doing it well, keeping your individuality while creating a community of support.”

Kaitlyn had the final word of the evening and her humble and humorous speech invoked the memorable journey that students take, from fledgling grade nine newbies to confident, aspiring graduates entering the world that awaits them.

“These are definitely the most formative years of our lives and it is here that we find out who we are and where we want to go,” she said. She spoke of the intimacy of the small high school where one teacher can teach you three classes and coach you on a team: “Where you have had at least one long conversation with every student in the school and where our motto -'We are family' is completely true.” She spoke of the memorable school trips, the school dances and the way the students banded together over the years to help those in need. She also spoke of the diverse skills and talents of each of her classmates and how these varied skills will help to serve them in their upcoming years. In closing, she left the students with a few words of advice. “1. Strive to be like Mr. McVety in every way possible. In so doing, you'll be sure to succeed. 2. Always remember the people that you met in high school and don't let those friendships die. 3. Don't work too hard - life is short, have fun.” Finally she said, “Graduation is not the end, it is the beginning.”

Fitting words indeed. Congratulations to all of the graduates.