On March 10, North Addington Education Centre held an indoor Winter Carnival. The event was supposed to take place in late February, but due to a series of snow days, their “winter” carnival became more of a “spring” carnival.

There were six activities in total: A food station where students were treated to hot chocolate and cookies made by Mr. Defosse’s hospitality class; “Strike a Pose”, a photo challenge; “Melting Iceburg”, a team-building activity where students found creative ways to fit on a constantly shrinking tarp; and a Scrabble activity, where students fetched letters that were hidden across the hallway, competing to create five words.

High school teacher, Mr. Sissons, was impressed with how the high school student helpers handled the event. “The best part was the way the high school students manned the events. It was awesome and pretty much flawless. If there was anything that needed to be adapted, they adapted to it right away and made changes on the fly to make the events run smoothly. We wrote down the errors that we had and are using them to go forward for the next event.”

The turnaround was pretty quick at Granite Ridge Education Centre last month. Principal Heather Highet, who oversaw the construction of the new school and remained at the helm for two years after it opened, found out in January that she would be moving to Bayridge High School in Kingston for the second semester of the 2015 - 2016 school year.

In her place, the Limestone District School Board decided to install the school's vice-principal, James McDonald, as acting principal until the end of the school year, when he may become the school's principal on a full-time basis.

For McDonald the new role is his fourth in the so-called northern reaches of the Limestone board. He taught at Clarendon Central in Plevna for six years when he first came to the board, then worked as vice-principal with Emily Yanch at Hinchinbrooke and Land O'Lakes Public Schools. When Hinchinbrooke and Sharbot Lake public and high schools were closed, and Granite Ridge was opened he became the new vice-principal.

“Heather and I worked on the direction of the school,” he said last week in an interview at his office. “Our school goals haven't changed: increase literacy, increase math skills and student engagement. These are fairly standard and important goals.”

There are mechanisms to evaluate progress that the school uses, such as report cards and province-wide EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability) testing to evaluate literacy and math skills in students, and Granite Ridge also employs other benchmarks to monitor student progress in these areas.

As well, beyond measuring and teaching skills, Granite Ridge has been working at creating a culture of reading in the school.

“GREC Reads is a program where at a certain time in the school day, every one of the students, from K-12, spends 20 minutes reading. Students get a wide variety of choice; the idea is for them to read out of interest. The program culminates in a book talk. As the program has developed, there has been a remarkable increase in our students just reading for the love of it, and some have indicated a connection between their interest reading and required reading,” McDonald said.

There are also reading groups in the school, which are designed to help students work on specific skills together, with the help of trained staff.

McDonald said that in terms of administrative style he prefers to use a collaborative rather than a top-down approach. “I see myself working with the teachers and staff here, not over them in any way. We all have different roles, of course, and I am adjusting to my new role. There is a great deal of expertise in this building; it is really truly phenomenal. My role is to foster that, to provide the circumstance to make it all come together.”

One example of teacher innovation comes from grade 3/4 teacher, Scott Flegal. Flegal has his students working with a tablet-based app called “explain everything”, which enriches all the material they access on their tablets with a click through to a wealth of background material.

Flegal's classroom is also unusual, almost borrowing a page from surrealist artists. The desks are there; there is a bank of computers by the window and the walls are covered with charts and student art and posters. Everything looks just like a busy grade 2 class, except that in place of chairs there are large blue balls. “The students sit on the balls instead of chairs so they are able to rock, to move their body while staying in place. It's something that has been tried elsewhere. Mr. Flegal wanted to try it in his class and he has had some success. We went to the school council for some funding and we found the rest in our own budget.”

Some of the older students have been involved in the development of an aquaculture project using the two ponds on the school property, and there have been a number of initiatives directed at providing opportunities for elementary and secondary students to learn together.

“It all comes down to building a school community,” said McDonald. “When we all came together we were having to develop a brand new culture of learning here, based on the needs of the students and a collaborative approach by staff. When Sharbot Lake High School was here there was a sense of family. Everyone talked about it, and that's something we have been building on now that we are Granite Ridge.”

North Addington Education Centre has started a junior music group for playing the ukulele and singing. The club meets twice a week at lunch to practice a variety of classic pop and folk songs. Practices will become more frequent as they prepare for performances.

Grade 3/4 teacher and co-founder of the ukulele group, Mr. Reynolds, is happy to revive music in the school environment. “In the past number of years, the arts have been largely ignored and underfunded due to the increased focus on literacy and numeracy. Madam Choma and I wanted to provide an opportunity for students to learn some basic music theory on a new instrument and to perform in our school talent show. Through the generous donation from the North Addington Guild, we’ve been able to purchase a number of ukuleles and guitars to start our stringed instrument club.”

The North Addington Guild makes a yearly donation to Arts education for North Addington students using revenue from their Arts Showcase, which takes place at the school.

Students in the ukulele group are already showing a lot of progress and are really enjoying their experience so far.

“The ukulele sounds really pretty”, said grade 6 student, Amber Verbruggen.

“I like the feeling of it and how you can get into it”, said grade 5 student Julia Cuddy.

Grade 6 student, Jeremy Pelicos, said that he joined the group because he “thought it would be fun”.

When asked what the club has learned so far, Alyssa Borger said, “We learned Am, F and C with our hands”. The ukulele club is planning to combine forces with the secondary choir for their talent show performance.

(with files from Katie McNichols)

The Sydenham Golden Eagles swept the Regiopolis Notre-Dame Panthers 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22) in the Kingston Area Secondary School Athletic Championships (KASSAA) on February 21 at Queens University.

The Eagles faced off against their long-time rivals, the Regi Panthers, for the third year in a row at the KASSAA championships. The Eagles finished in second place after the regular season with a record of 11-1, their only loss coming to the Panthers, who went undefeated all year.

But in the final game of the KASSAA tournament it was The Eagles who took the early initiative, opening up an 8-3 lead early in the first set and Regi was unable to battle back. Strong serving and impressive passing kept the Eagles in the drivers seat throughout.

Following the win, assistant coach, Scott Cashol, who has been coaching the team alongside head coach Katie May for the last seven years, credited the team’s composure for their victory.

“When the game became challenging, our team remained resilient and disciplined. So for example, when Regi would go on a point run, setter Katie McNichols stuck to our game plan of 'next job, next job'; and rather than panicking and losing focus, she stayed focused and continued to run our offense. The win was a total team effort and every single member of our team did the job they were supposed to do,” May said.

Cashol said that the girls’ hard work and commitment really paid off and he was thrilled to see the team experience success at KASSAA.

With the big win, the team now heads to the AAA OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) championships, which take place in North Bay from March 7 to 9. Cashol said that going in, the game plan for the girls “is to continue to play competitively but also to just enjoy the experience.”

On February 19 students from North Addington, Granite Ridge and Madawaska Valley competed in the National Archery School Program (NASP), at North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne.

“I like archery,” said Josh Smith of NAEC. “I like making new friends and topping my own scores.”

Secondary student archers competed to show their proficiency with a bow and arrow. From distances of 10 and 15 metres, they shot at targets with 20-pound pull bows. They were scored on a scale from 0 to 10, and shot 15 times per round.

“The day has been very positive between schools,” said coach Sarah Sproule, “North Addington will be competing in the Ontario Championships this spring!”

There were 31 archers in the second annual tournament, 16 of whom were from NAEC.

“I really enjoy this archery tournament because the pressure is on,” said Sarah Lax of NAEC.

“We are excited to see three different schools come together to participate in archery,” said David Ryrie, Youth Education Manager at Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. “It’s great to see the sportsmanship, skills improvement and the smiles on the players’ faces.” When asked about NASP, Ryrie said, “NASP was started in Ontario to encourage students to participate in the shooting sports and try a new activity that could become a lifelong passion.”

Overall, the day was on target, with Greg Garey (NAEC) with an overall score of 253 and Brittany Delyea (NAEC) with an overall score of 232, as Top Archers. NAEC won the Top Team spot in the tournament.

For more NAEC news, please follow us on Twitter @NAEC_LDSB

On February 11, NAEC students and staff travelled to Calabogie Peaks for a ski trip. A total of 59 students from grades 7-12 attended the trip. For the first part of the day, students partook in skiing lessons and later advanced to other hills.

High school student Nathan Baker was thrilled to see optimism from his peers. “Everybody was just so happy and excited about this trip. It was a good thing because the more people that are happy, the more positive the environment is”.

Grade 9 student Nathan Reid also had positive things to say. “It was difficult to learn at first, but once you got the hang of it, it was fun and easy to do”.

Grade 10 student Cassandra Parks-Delyea said that the trip was a “fun experience to get to learn a new skill”.

Despite the cold weather, everyone who was a part of the ski trip had a great experience. NAEC will be returning to Calabogie on March 4 and are looking forward to planning more ski trips next year.

It is not the first time that Mr. Hull, a grade 7/8 teacher at Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove has relied on the use of Canadian Geographic's huge and handy historical floor maps to teach his students about Canadian and world history.

Canadian Geographic offers a number of free teaching aids to teachers and last year Mr. Hull's students used similar maps to learn about the War of 1812.

This year Mr. Hull has been using one of the company’s newest teaching aids, titled “Drawn to Victory”, which helps to bring the history of World War 1 to life for students.

When I visited Mr. Hull's classroom on January 28, the students were watching a documentary titled “In King and Country” about the battle at Passchendaele.

Later in the gym Mr. Hull instructed the students to unfold a huge floor map depicting the European countries involved in World War 1. For this unit the students were looking at the war’s impact on the populations of Great Britain, Germany, France and Belgium and in particular, population statistics of these countries both before and after the war.

With the assistance of plastic chains, the students were first asked to outline the borders of the European countries involved in the conflict. Then, using a number of colored blocks (each representing 1 million civilians), they showed the populations in each country before the war broke out. Removing blocks showed the number of people killed during the war in each country.

Hull said that the interactive maps help students better understand the geographic area of conflict and its impact on the populations of the countries involved by giving the students numerous hands-on opportunities to interact with the maps and their related tools. The package not only includes the floor maps but also a number of different topics of focus that include war cartography, map reading, Canadians in battle and Europe then and now.

Hull’s goal is to make history real for the students and he stressed that some of the students who may have had relatives involved in the conflict better understand the history. Hull had nothing but good things to say about these teaching aids, which bring his students out of the classroom to explore history in a unique and interactive way.

For more information about the many teaching aids available from Canadian Geographic visit cangeoeducation.ca/resources

In an effort to get the message about the dangers of drug use out early to students who will soon to be entering high school, members of the OPP's Frontenac detachment have been visiting area schools.

In a presentation to grade 7/8 students at Land O'Lakes Public School on February 5, Frontenac Community Services Officer, Constable Roop Sandhu, spoke to students about the dangers that alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs can pose for both youth and adults alike. These substances have highly addictive qualities and Constable Sandhu outlined how overuse and/or non-prescribed use of them can lead to illness, addiction and in some cases even death.

He spoke of the legal consequences when minors become involved with these substances and how their unlawful use under the Criminal Code can lead to criminal charges, jail sentences and even a life-long criminal record. Sandhu also covered the subject of mixing highly caffeinated drugs with alcohol, which can pose dangerous health risks. He spoke of how the use of these substances can negatively affect one’s life physically, socially, emotionally and financially - of how it can be devastating to a student’s academic performance, their future outcomes and their families.

Constable Sandhu ended his section of the presentation by advising how students should react when presented with any of these substances. He stressed that non-use is the best choice, especially if the students do not know what the substances are or where they came from. He also advised students to never accept a drink from a stranger, and to immediately seek adult assistance if they should accidentally ingest a dangerous substance.

He suggested many healthier ways that youngsters can spend their time, either by taking up a hobby, joining a sports team, participating in other extra-curricular activities, volunteering in the community, or spending more time with family.

The second half of the presentation focused specifically on illegal drugs, and Constable Snider, a drug enforcement OPP officer with Frontenac County, spoke to students about the consequences of using and/or dealing in illegal drugs. He described the various categories of these drugs, which include cannabis, opiates, barbiturates, hallucinogens, and steroids. He outlined the laws and consequences related to using, possessing, trafficking in, or manufacturing these substances. He stressed that today’s high potency cannabis can have serious adverse health affects. A six-year study published in the British Journal of Medicine in 2014 showed that daily cannabis users are five times more likely to suffer from psychosis than those who have never used it. He warned students that though the current federal government is looking to legalize marijuana, for now it is still illegal. He spoke of the many new and altered forms of street drugs that are constantly emerging and how they are being manufactured specifically to avoid detection by law enforcement and to appeal to youth. Synthetic cannabinoids, for example, are often sold under various names to avoid detection

Constable Snider spoke of horrible physical effects that Krokodil, a potent morphine derivative known as the “drug of the poor”, can cause. To help bring his point home he recalled a poem written by a young crystal meth addict while she was spending time in jail. The last lines of the poem concluded with this dire warning:

“If you try me be warned - this is no game,
If given the chance, I'll drive you insane.
I'll ravish your body, I'll control your mind,
I’ll own you completely; your soul will be mine.”

Following the presentation, Constable Sandhu said, “Young people need to be able to determine the fact from the fiction around these substances. Sometimes they are getting information from others that is simply not true and often downright wrong. These young kids have enough to deal with when entering high school, which is enough of a challenge to them, and they need to know well in advance of that time that drugs are just not the way to go.” Schools interested in a presentation can contact Constable Sandhu at 613-372-1932 ext.6955

Last week, Grade 7 and 8 students test-drove the awesome technology classes offered at NAEC. Students chose from a variety of tech-based courses as a transition program into secondary. They tore apart and rebuilt motors in Small Engines, made smartphone speakers in Woodshop and lit up the welding torches in the Metal shop. In the Graphics class students got to create an animation, learn photography with Photoshop and design a three-dimensional castle or vehicle to be printed on the 3D printer. In the Hospitality room, students baked cookies and did a taste test challenge. Students enjoyed their mini courses so much, many volunteered to return to do more over their lunch hour. Secondary students helped to facilitate these activities as mentors, sharing what they have learned from these courses. Stay tuned for more exciting transition activities; for real-time news follow us on Twitter @NAEC_LDSB

Following an assembly at Granite Ridge Education Centre on January 22 where students were informed of upcoming changes in the school’s administration, staff from the school gathered at Sharbot Lake's Crossing Pub to bid farewell to long-time school principal, Heather Highet.

Highet will be transferring to Bayridge Secondary School in Kingston and February 3, 2016 will be her final day at GREC. Highet took up her post in Sharbot Lake back in 2010 just after the PARC (Program & Accommodation Review) Committee was formed and the new school (GREC) that would replace the former Sharbot Lake High School was in the process of being designed.

At the farewell event last Friday afternoon, Highet said that working through that process was wonderful and that seeing the whole community come together and work through it was a definite highlight of her career.

Highet, who resides in Kingston, said that her new posting to Bayridge SS, a grade 9-12 school with a population of about 600 students in the city’s west end, is just a short five-minute drive from her home. She said that is one of the best things about the new move: “I won't be driving Road 38 any more, which is something both I and my husband are very pleased about.”

Asked about the legacy she leaves behind and some of her favorite memories, she said, “I am really pleased about how the entire school community has come together as a family and am proud of the new facility, which is also being used by the greater community as well.” She also said that working with the elementary students and their families, which was something entirely new for her, proved both challenging and rewarding.

Regarding the challenges she faces going forward, Highet said, “Moving mid-year is interesting because right now my mind is in two places, which is tough but also exciting. The biggest challenge going forward will be getting to know the students and their families at the new school.”

Highet also said she feels that she is leaving GREC in good hands. Vice-principal James McDonald has been appointed as the school’s new interim principal and Jamie McCullough, a long-time teacher at the school, will replace McDonald as the new vice-principal.

Highet is pleased with the appointments and said, “I am thrilled with the new admin team coming in because they know the school and the community and it is a great thing for Granite Ridge to have that kind of continuity.”

James MacDonald said that he is excited about his new appointment. He formerly worked for seven years at Clarendon Central Public school as teacher in charge, then was vice-principal at both Hinchinbrooke and Land O' Lakes public schools for years before moving to SLHS as vice-principal. MacDonald said, “Heather and I essentially created a lot of the programs that have happened and are happening at the school so this feels like a fluid and natural change for me.” He said that dealing with some of the extra administrative duties that he is taking on would be challenging but that he looks forward to those challenges.

Jamie McCullough has worked at the school for years in various capacities and when students found out earlier that day that he was appointed as the school’s new vice-principal, a large round of cheers filled the auditorium. McCullough grew up in Mountain Grove and attended Sharbot Lake High School. He has taught at both LOLPS and SLHS; at the latter he taught the school to community program and various courses before being promoted as the learning program support teacher, which he has worked at for the last two years.

McCullough said he is looking forward to continuing to work with staff and students at the school and said that he feels confident in his new role since over the years he has built positive relationships with both students and staff. “The students know that I am someone that they can come and talk to, which I think is really important.”

The farewell event and celebration included musical entertainment by former teacher Jim MacPherson; a slide show and awards presentation to Highet courtesy of colleagues Wade Leonard and Ben Moser; gift presentations from staff and members of the school parent council; and numerous addresses from current and former staff at the school.