Stonecarvers
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Feature Article - May 3, 2007Stonecarvers of NAEC
by Katie Ohlke
For the past month, two senior sculpture students have been learning the art of carving soapstone and are becoming very skilled in their technique. Kyle Sagriff, 19, and Devin Vanderbelt, 18, have discovered a passion for carving stone.
"It takes up a lot of time and keeps me out of trouble." jokes Sagriff, who has completed seven large pieces and several small pieces in the last month. "A carving usually takes me 12 hours or so, start to finish." Sagriff uses a Dremel tool and lots of files to work the stone.
Vanderbelt enjoys the challenges carving soapstone can deliver. "The chiseling is hard to do, you have to read the stone's flaws and these weak points don't like the force needed sometimes. Adding detail to the stone is the biggest challenge if you want to keep the stone in one piece." he notes, "When you try to read the rough stone it can be hard to see what it should be because you have a thousand things running through your mind as possibilities." Vanderbelt often spends up to 20 hours per sculpture, and has completed eight to date, using a pocket knife, files and even an angle grinder.
Their favourite stones to carve come from Mitch Wilson, who has a local quarry in Enterprise. Vanderbelt likes the dark black stone called Northern Lights Stone and Sagriff enjoys working with the dark brown stone that has streaks of white and black within it.
Both agree on the best part of the art; "The best part is when you have a finished piece." says Vanderbelt.Both intend to continue carving after graduation, and Sagriff intends on making a career out of it. "I am hoping to become rich and famous - well, maybe just famous." grins Sagriff, "I'd like to carve for the rest of my life."
The young men make their artistic debut at the NAEC Art Show tonight, Thursday May 3 at the annual parents’ night. Look for these bright young and talented artists in the near future!
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Feature Article - December 20, 2007 NAEC celebrates and remembers by Katie Ohlke Great concentration during the Egg Toss.North Addington Education Centre celebrated its annual Frosty Friday with school spirit, with three dress up theme days and a full day of team building activities followed by their winter formal, all organized by the Student's Council. This year however, the week was also a very sad one at NAEC. Steven Ruttan, 17, passed away, Monday December 3.
"Steven was always smiling and laughing," said one student, "He'd want us to continue with our lives and be happy." On Friday, staff and students of NAEC wore a yellow ribbon for Steven, his favourite colour.
Opening the day with a pancake breakfast, students competed in their house teams. Events included outdoor tug o' war, Egg toss, Dizzy Bat, and indoor Blind Volleyball and an obstacle course (put on by the members of Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving). The obstacle course featured goggles smeared with Vaseline and chairs to navigate with a ball throwing challenge. It showed students how alcohol can impair your vision and judgment. The afternoon held the first annual Vikingball Tournament with the winning team playing the teacher team. E house beat the teacher team in two games. They also went on to win the Trophy with the most points of the day.
After the day full of activities, students removed their yellow ribbons and placed them on their formal clothes for the dance, held at the Flinton Hall. A commemorative poster for Steven was signed by all in attendance.
A memorial was held in the gymnasium on December 10 for Steven.
Left:Poster signed by NAEC students, in memory of Steven Ruttan
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Feature Article - May 15, 2008 NAEC students get to grips with chainsawsBy Valerie Allan
Photo: Rosie Brooks
On May 8 and 9, students from North Addington Education Centre obtained their Chainsaw Operators Certificate. This course taught them valuable skills for both life and work. Instructors worked with students on the operation and maintenance of chainsaws, with an emphasis on safety. Everyone suited up with the correct protective gear and trudged off into the extensive woods behind the school to do “hands-on” training. Students worked very hard during this training process.
NAEC has run this course for several years, with great success. NAEC is very fortunate to have the kind of setting that makes a course like this easy to run directly from the education facility.
The offering of this course is all part of NAEC’s philosophy of providing practical experience along with academic education. “We believe in providing our students with every opportunity for success,” said Vice-Principal Angela Salmond. “This is just one example of the certificates our students can obtain to give them an edge in today’s employment market.”
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Feature Article - October 9, 2008 The Good Brothers Deliver at NAECBy Katie Ohlke
Larry Good, Kora Kamps, Holly
Buls, Brian Good, Katelyn Buls, Bruce Good and Dallas Arney sing
"Country Roads" at the NAEC music fundraiser.
Last Friday night, the North Addington auditorium was the place to be as a night of wonderful music unfolded. Opening for the Good Brothers was a host of NAEC talent: the Buls twins, Holly and Katelyn, in grade 11, opened the evening with an original song they wrote. Dallas Arney, a grade 9 student, sang two songs, the first written by her. She performed with 4 time Canadian Country Music Awards –CCMA- Guitarist of the Year, Steve Piticco, who the week before performed with Dolly Parton. The last act before the main event was Ms Kora Kamps, music teacher and organizer of the fundraising event. Kamps sang two songs and played guitar.
When the Good Brothers hit the stage, every foot in the audience tapped along with the building rhythms. Playing many classic songs, country, blue grass and even some rock and roll, there was definitely something for everyone. Between sets, Larry (a CCMA Banjo player of the Year), Bruce (a CCMA Autoharp player of the Year) and brother Brian (on guitar) entertained the crowd with jokes and anecdotes about the band and life in general. Also on stage was John P. Allen (a CCMA fiddle player of the Year) of Prairie Oyster fame, playing fiddle and mandolin. Later Steve Piticco also joined the act on stage for an incredible music experience.
Kamps commented during intermission, “It isn’t every day that our area gets this many World Class musicians on stage together. This is truly a special night. The Good Brothers were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in the fall of 2004, and the majority of these musicians are recognized nationally for their excellence.”
Before the concert, a silent auction was held as a fundraiser for the music department, with several donations from the local community and staff. Notably, Carolyn Hasler made several donations to the auction. The Good Brothers also donated 25% of the sales of their cds for the evening to support the cause.
In all, $1200 was raised for the music department at NAEC. Stay tuned for more exciting news from NAEC Music department.
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Feature Article - November 13, 2008 NAEC at the Grand TheatreBy Katie Ohlke
Back row:
Ms Kora Kamps (teacher), Letitia Boomhour, Brandon Gauthier, Bethany
Lessard Front row: Sarah Connel, Christina Richard
(above), Cassie Seamons (below), Candace Fortier, Janice Scott and
Courtney Dacuk.
Last week, cast members of the NAEC musical “Crazy for You,” took to the stage again to perform in the Limestone Learning Foundation’s “The Audition.” “The Audition” is story that revolves around several youth who are getting ready to audition for a play. Each student tells a story that alludes to a scene in one of many Limestone District School Board school plays, both elementary and secondary; at which point the song or dance in conversation is then enacted by the school that performed it, last year. NAEC performed their musical chorus line number “I can’t be bothered now.” There were 600 people involved in the production and “The Audition” played three shows to a full house. North Addington was the only northern school in the show. “It was amazing being on that big stage,” said Brandon, who played the lead, Bobby Childs, “it was definitely an experience.”
NAEC students get a new perspective
The Physical Education classes at North Addington Education Centre were on wheels last week. Mrs. Sarah Sproule, a secondary physical education teacher, arranged for the unique opportunity by organizing the rental of 10 wheelchairs for classes to experience sports and life from a different perspective. Throughout the week, grade 8-12 students had a chance to play basketball, dodge ball and navigate through a variety of obstacle courses.
Outside of the gym, students attempted to maintain their regular activities within the school while using the chairs: "Getting a drink wasn't hard, it was impossible" said Sarah Connell. "Navigating the hallways during break was difficult” noted Courtney Dacuk. By the end of the week, the students had multiple blisters, sore arms and shoulders, along with a much clearer perspective on the challenges and successes of others.
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Back to HomeFeature Article - October 22, 2009
NAEC Building Success!By Peter Rasenberg
The NAEC Construction Tech Class
install the new gate at Camp Gesher last week.
The NAEC grade 12 Construction Technology class has been busy with a community project at Camp Gesher, on Pringle Lake. The new sign which graces the entrance to the camp, stands 17 feet tall and 16 feet wide. This will allow traffic to drive through without risk of hitting the sign, but did present a challenge as the sign was first assembled on the ground. It was raised using a winch and pulley system. The frame was made from 8 to 12 inch square timbers and uses all traditional mortise and tenon joinery with oak dowels to hold it together. After the timber joinery was complete and the lettering was routered in, the timbers were then hand planed and finished with a semi-transparent stain. The camp is extremely pleased with their new sign, and expressed their interest in other future projects for the camp. NAEC is extremely proud of the following students who worked on this project: Brandon Cuddy, Shane Baldacchin, Matt Deruchie, Tim Younie, James Nowell and Chris Jordan.
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Back to HomeFeature Article - September 24, 2009
NAEC Goes to CampBy Valerie Allan
On September 10 and 11, the Grade 9 class from NAEC went to RKY Camp in Parham with their Grade 12 mentors. This event is a repeat of the highly successful event last year, when Grade 9 students and their mentors took part in team-building and trust-building exercises.
The students and their teachers went kayaking, tackled the High Ropes and participated in “leadership games”—all focusing on developing effective communication. On Friday, everyone participated in canoeing, Low Ropes and the climbing wall.
Eight staff members accompanied the students and thoroughly enjoyed the activities. Sheila Perry, a long-time Education Assistant at NAEC remarked, “I was so impressed with the level of participation from all the students, as well as the staff. The program was organized very professionally.”
“It was a great time and I made a lot of new friends,” commented Courtney Dacuk, one of the Grade 12 mentors. Addison Evans, a Grade 9 student, said, “The camp counselors were very nice, and the activities were awesome!”
Following last year’s pattern, Mr. Sissons’ Grade 12 Leadership class will provide mentorship through the semester to help the Grade 9 students adjust to life in high school. The mentoring is designed to help students do well academically and socially.
Angela Salmond, Vice-Principal at NAEC pointed out, “We had a very successful group of Grade 9s last year, and we believe the RKY experience and mentoring was part of that success. We decided to continue because of this and because it helps foster a positive school culture.”
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Back to HomeFeature Article - September 17, 2009
Two limestone schools receive “Eco school” awardsBy Julie Druker
Grade 8 students at NAEC who helped achieve the
school’s Gold status as a Ontario Eco School for the year 2008/2009
North Addington Education Centre (NAEC) in Cloyne and Sydenham High School (SHS) were two of four schools in the Limestone District School Board to become certified for the first time as EcoSchools. NAEC and SHS were awarded respectively a gold and bronze medal at the LDSB meeting held in Kingston on September 9.
Last year staff and students at both schools entered the EcoSchool program, which recognizes a school’s environmental stewardship and awards points for achievements in a number of areas, including teamwork and leadership, energy conservation, waste minimization, school ground greening, and curriculum and environmental stewardship.
The Ontario EcoSchool program was created in 2002 to address environmental issues in the formal education system, and was designed to help students develop ecological literacy and become environmentally responsible citizens.
The program requires the commitment of members of the school administration, staff and students who together form an Eco team. The team creates, implements and monitors various action plans to manage and evaluate their eco progress throughout the school year.
NAEC teachers Beth Hasler and Melissa Randle co-chaired the program there, and Vice Principal Kelly Roantree chaired the program at Sydenham.
Both schools focused mainly on recycling, energy conservation, curriculum and environmental stewardship.
Students and staff at both schools designed in-school systems to recycle cans, plastic and cardboard and glass, and to conserve energy by turning off lights, monitors and closing blinds. Waste minimization was also focused on.
At NAEC, GOOS (good on one side) paper bins were developed and located in every classroom as a way of reusing paper. A swap shop was set up at an open house where students and staff donated various articles that they were no longer using.
Under the category of “school ground greening”, NAEC students revitalized their shaded courtyard with flowers donated by community members. Under the curriculum category, teachers at NAEC taught lessons about the environment and assigned various projects to students, which included journaling and field trips. One of the field trips was a visit to Lemoine Point in Kingston, where grade 9 and 11 students helped rid the area of a species of invasive garlic mustard.
Both schools under the stewardship category also held school-wide earth hour and earth day programs. At NAEC all lights were turned off for one hour and earth day events included cleaning up the environment around the school.
At Sydenham one initiative focused on promoting paperless communication. Parents and staff were encouraged to check the school website and email instead of relying on mail-outs. Student announcements were written on white boards instead of being printed out and organizations within the school were encouraged to promote the use of reusable beverage containers rather than plastic bottled beverages.
Both schools are planning to re-implement the EcoSchool program this year and both are focusing on the areas where they can improve. At NAEC the focus will be on constructing a shaded area in the playground and a new program called Litterless Lunch Fridays will begin, when children will be encouraged to bring lunches that produce no litter.
In Sydenham Kelly Roantree is hoping that this year the school will be “going for gold”. She says that this year’s team will focus on embedding eco practices within the school and its curriculum as well as greening up the school grounds.
Any school interested in joining the EcoSchool program can visit www.ontarioecoschools.org or contact Karl Walker at 613-544-6925 ext.258
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Back to HomeFeature Article - June 4, 2009
NAEC Students Pulling for Biodiversityby Melissa Randle
On May 22, 32 NAEC students traveled to Lemoine Point Conservation Area in Kingston to participate in the Great Garlic Mustard Pull and International Biodiversity Day. The students spent two hours combing a five-hectare portion of Lemoine Point for garlic mustard, which is an invasive species in Ontario. They were able to collect ninety bags of garlic mustard total. The day was sponsored by the Friends of Lemoine Point Invasive Species Control Group and the Biodiversity Education and Awareness Network.
International Biodiversity Day is a day dedicated to increasing understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Every year there is a different focus and 2009 focused on invasive species. Garlic mustard is an invasive species that outgrows and outcompetes native species of plants in areas like Lemoine Point, causing a decrease in biodiversity. Manual removal of garlic mustard will help stop the spread of garlic mustard and will allow native species to return to the area.
Vice principal Angela Salmond said, “Although this day provided a great service to Lemoine Point, it also provided our students with a great learning opportunity. We were very pleased and proud to have our students participate in such a worthwhile opportunity. Our students demonstrate time and time again that they understand the importance of being "global citizens" and it is days like this that allow them to do what they can to make a difference.”
Pictures from International Biodiversity Day activities can be found on the Biodiversity Education and Awareness Network site under Past Events.
NAEC goes for gold by Melissa Randle and Elizabeth Hasler
Assemblies at NAEC this year with assemblies have had an environmental focus, like this one about about Birds of Prey
North Addington Education Centre is among the first Limestone District School Board schools to get certified with Ontario EcoSchools. NAEC has received Gold certification for 2009.
North Addington Education Centre recently applied for EcoSchool certification along with three other schools in Limestone District School Board. EcoSchools is an environmental education program in Ontario that helps students and schools to become more environmentally friendly. To become a certified EcoSchool the school must show achievement in energy conservation, waste minimization, ecological literacy and school ground greening. The GOLD standing is the highest level and NAEC was the only school in the Limestone DSB to receive this standing!
NAEC showed their commitment to the environment throughout the 2008-2009 school year. A paper and a container recycling program was implemented. The EcoTeam also held events including Earth Hour, Earth Day, and a Swap Shop at Open House. Students at NAEC have shown that they care for the environment by continuing to recycle and to turn off the lights and computer monitors when not in use. The environment has been a focus at NAEC this year with assemblies about Birds of Prey, guest speakers talking about biology and environmental sustainability and field trips to conservation areas.
EcoSchools is a voluntary program led by teachers and volunteers at schools across Ontario. The EcoTeam at NAEC is led by Melissa Randle and Elizabeth Hasler. NAEC will receive a plaque later this spring to acknowledge their hard work.
