It was a coup of sorts that took place at the Granite Education Centre in Sharbot Lake on November 7, and kudos to the members of the GREC parent council 's fundraising committee who birthed what might just continue as an annual tradition. The event was the first ever "Ladies Night - Christmas in the Country" shopping extravaganza. The parent council organized the fundraiser to help pay for the school's new $20,000 electronic sign, which advertises both school and community events and was in large part paid for by the parent council. Proceeds from the event will also pay for the recent painting of the school courtyard and help fund other programs and student-related expenses at the school. The $5 entry fee included delicious snacks courtesy of staff and parent council member Anne Howes, and fancy mock cocktails courtesy of senior students Brandi Armstrong, Josh Keefe, and Jake Watson, who served them up with flair. Over 25 vendors lined the halls, offering up a wide array of gift giving options that included tole painted gifts, jewelry, fine arts and crafts, clothing, kitchen accessories, body products, native crafts plus many other holiday treats. Guests could purchase 50 cent tickets to win one or more of the over 45 themed Christmas gift baskets and prizes that were donated by vendors, artisans, local businesses and students and staff from the school.

Cheryl Allen, vice chair of the GREC parent council, said they had hoped to attract “especially the ladies in the local community whose husbands were away hunting”, but the night was well attended by both men and women, who all enjoyed a fun evening of socializing, snacking and holiday shopping.

Pema Lama, a practicing Tibetan Buddhist and teacher from Nepal, visited students at local area schools last week. Students at Harrowsmith called the visit nothing short of “awesome”.

Pema Lama and his Canadian host, Leslie Myles, visited with grade four and five students at Harrowsmith Public School (HPS) on October 29. The day before they visited students at Loughborough Public School. Myles became acquainted with Pema during her numerous trips to Nepal and last year when she spoke to students at HPS about her trek to the Mount Everest base camp, she promised that she would return this year with a special visitor from Nepal. “The students knew that I would be returning with someone from Nepal and today they finally had a chance to meet him”, Myles said.

Pema Lama, who has been studying Buddhism with his great uncle since he was 7 years old as well as with other yoga and meditation masters, engaged and fascinated the students at HPS. His visit began with an introduction by Myles who spoke of Nepal, a country she became enamoured with years ago. She spoke of the capital city Kathmandu and its bustling population of 1 million people and of the smaller rural villages located high in the mountains, particularly the village of Mugu located near the Tibet border, which Pema Lama calls home. She spoke of the differences of village life compared to life here in Canada and of the many small mountain villages that have no roads, and where animals like yaks, donkeys and sheep share the many walking paths with the local villagers. She described the village farms and how the villagers live off of the produce they grow. There are very few schools, which are located many miles away and students spend often up to four hours a day walking to and from them.

Myles told the students, “It is very different there but also very beautiful too”. She then introduced Pema who told the students about his village, how he studied Buddhism in a cave with his great uncle. He explained the meaning of his name: “Pema means lotus flower and Lama translates to mean mother power or mother art.”

This was Pema's first ever visit to Canada and he spoke to the students of his respect for all people and all religions and explained to them how “even though people look different and speak different languages, we are all, in mind and heart, the same.” He took questions from the students, one of whom asked him about the shawl he was wearing. He explained that the shawl is an important part of his practice and it represents the wings that the freedom of his practice brings him. He also stressed the importance the practice places on positive rather than negative thoughts.

Following his talk he demonstrated some different yoga exercises, inviting the students to participate, and also later invited the students to join him on the floor to practice meditation.

Myles, who is the managing director of the Limestone Learning Foundation, together with Pema Lama has been involved in an international student dialogue called the Nepalese Global Connection, a pen pal program where students from the Limestone District School Board and the Shree Himalaya Primary School located in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal have been writing letters back and forth. Pema also brought with him letters from the Nepalese students.

It was a memorable visit for the Harrowsmith students and for the school principal Valerie Arsenault. Arsenault stressed the importance of bringing visitors like Pema Lama to the school. “Visits like this one from Pema Lama bring the outside world to the students in a way that no technology can. This visit brings the wisdom and experience of other cultures and countries to the students and makes for an especially authentic learning experience.”

by Valerie Allan

Five NAEC students attended the 7th annual Four Winds Festival of Aboriginal Cultures on October 29. at the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. The students were escorted by Mrs. Sproule, who is from the Chippewaas of Georgina Island.

Students attended a variety of workshops. Emma Fuller and Mackenzie Johnson (M.J.) attended an Ojibwe Traditions workshop, where they received a bracelet and learned about traditional ways to greet people and to pray. They also participated in a Corn Husk Doll Making workshop, and came away with a corn husk doll they had made themselves. Emma enjoyed some traditional stories in Algonquin Story-telling, while M.J. made a wampum belt in the Wampum Belt workshop. She also learned that on a traditional Wampum Belt, the owner had to remember the story associated with every single bead.

Madison Lloyd, Mackenzie Wilson and Luc Desrosiers did some high energy Metis Jigging. The workshop leaders taught them that it was important to use the traditional names, rather than the names used by colonialists. They reported that they learned that there was no Metis word for “goodbye” or “thank you”. They said the workshop was packed with learning opportunities and they really enjoyed it. The three students also attended a hand-drumming workshop, in which there was vocalization accompanying the drumming, but no actual words. They were taught that hand-drumming with vocalization is a form of prayer.

Madison and Mackenzie went to the Social Dancing workshop, where they learned about types of dance and their social significance. Luc went to a Sacred Medicine workshop, where he learned that the Medicine Wheel encompassed life’s cycle, starting with East and moving through South and West and ending with North. He also learned that native peoples use sage, sweetgrass and tobacco as medicine, and learned how to make cedar tea. Cedar tea is to help breathing and stress, and is made by boiling water, adding a cedar stick, and letting it steep for 10 minutes.

Students were able to attend the conference because of funding provided by the Limestone Board of Education. Unfortunately, a lot of secondary students were on a science field trip, so were unable to attend, so the festival was opened up to some elementary students. All participants said that it had been a great learning experience, and that they would love to go next year. NAEC is hoping that a greater number will be able to attend next year.

In a special touring show highlighting the issues of youth poverty and homelessness, members of Theatre Complete captured the hearts and minds of students at the North Addington Education Centre (NAEC) on October 24.

Theatre Complete, a theatre focus program that runs out of QECVI in Kingston, invites high school students from Kingston and the surrounding area to come together for one semester of intense theatre study. The program includes a drama in the community segment that has the students choose, research, and create a show centered on a relevant youth topic of their choice. Past productions of Theatre Complete have included the topics of bullying, mental health and addiction, and this year the program's 11 students chose youth poverty as their subject after receiving a special request from the Youth Diversion Organization in Kingston to cover the topic.

After intense research, which included interviews with youth who have faced issues of poverty and homelessness, the students presented a show that was based on the real life experiences of the people they interviewed.

The show included music and dance and the stories included one girl, who along with her mother faced numerous challenges after their economic situation changed dramatically following the death of their father/husband. Another story tells of a teenager who fathered a child, and faced a number of challenges including the decision to give the child up.

Much of the factual information presented in the show challenged the common myths about youth poverty and demonstrated how youth can easily fall into the clutches of poverty and homelessness. Canada's child poverty rate is 15.1%, four percentage points higher than a 17 country average. Many people are shocked to find out that 50% of homeless youth come from upper and middle class households and have left their homes as a result of unhealthy living situations that often include various forms of abuse and neglect. The fact also that one in five Canadian youths are either homeless or living in poverty is another eye opening statistic, as is the fact that children who experience persistent poverty are at a higher risk of experiencing health problems, developmental delays and behavior disorders.

One of the goals of the Theatre Complete program is to demonstrate how theatre can directly impact the world and facilitate discussion about important issues facing youth. Ryan Clement, who heads up the program, said he hopes the show will “make people more aware of the these issues, while also offering help to those living in these circumstances and encouraging them to share their experience and to seek out the many supports that are available to them. “This is something that can happen to anyone anywhere at any time,” he said.

Clement said that given the fact that students who drop out of school are 10 times more likely to end up homeless than those who graduate is one reason that he is also encouraging schools to set up funds for post-secondary schooling to help students secure deposits for tuition and student residence accommodations. “For many students the fact that these deposits are required before their student loans kick in can be a barrier to their securing a spot in a post-secondary school program”.

Students experiencing homelessness and/or poverty should know that there are numerous resources available to them to assist with accommodations so that they do not have to live on the streets. These resources include: Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868); Telehealth Ontario (1-866-797-0000); the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) 1-613-546-4266; Home Base Housing in Kingston (613-542-6672); Kingston Youth Shelter (613-766-3200); Youth Diversion Organization (613-548-4535 ext. 223, as well as Employment Ontario Service, Youth Initiative Canada and Pathways to Education. These organizations all have websites with helpful information and resources.

The performance at NAEC was the final one of this year's Theatre Complete show and NAEC Principal Angela Salmond was pleased that students had the opportunity to see it. “As a rural school we can tend to be insulated and sometimes don't see the challenges facing youth in other areas. For these students to see the production presents an opportunity for them to better understand these particular issues and to see how they might affect their own particular situation here,” she said.

Karen McGregor was very nervous as she joined the crowd at the Oso Hall waiting for the election results in Central Frontenac, and the fact the results did not come in until after 9 p.m. did not help matters much.

“How will we know the results from the other townships? Do I have to wait all night and phone around tomorrow morning?” she wondered. “I don't think I could take that.”

She needn't have worried. The results for the Limestone Board election from North Frontenac and Addington Highlands were submitted to Central Frontenac, so when CAO Larry Donaldson read out the results, he said, “These are the compiled results of all the votes.”

McGregor looked relieved but then came the moment of truth.

The totals for the two other candidates were announced first. Dave Kendall received 994 votes, Steve Magee 1057, and Karen McGregor ... 2748. McGregor's local knowledge was well received in all three townships, and her numbers in her home township were overwhelming. She received 1530 votes to 458 for each of her opponents in Central Frontenac alone.

McGregor will replace retiring incumbent Ann Goodfellow as the northern rep on the board.

The race for the northern seat was a polite affair, with candidates agreeing with each other on most issues during the numerous debates, but South Frontenac was another story altogether.

Incumbent Suzanne Ruttan was challenged by Lindsay Davidson on a number of fronts. Davidson charged that Ruttan was too much of an education insider to fight for the interests of South Frontenac residents.

For her part Ruttan said that she did not think that someone who had initiated court proceedings against the board would be a viable candidate to sit on that board at the same time.

(Lindsay Davidson is one of a group who have asked for a judicial review of the decision to close two secondary schools in Kingston and build a new one at an as yet undetermined location)

The third candidate, Lynda Hawn, struggled to receive much attention in the face of what ended up being a pitched battle between the two front runners.

The result was close, but Suzanne Ruttan held on to her seat on the board, with the support of 2737 people (49%). Lindsay Davidson received 2323 votes (42%) and Lynda Hawn 340 (6%).

Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board – Procter returns

It took until almost noon the next day before the results for the ALCDSB Frontenac County trustee race between long-serving member Wendy Procter and Harrowsmith Catholic School Council member Jodi Cameron were announced.

Procter held off Cameron by 26 votes, 388 to 362. Her margin in North and Central Frontenac outstripped the 30-vote lead that Cameron had built up in South Frontenac, where she received 250 votes to 220 for Procter.  

by Valerie Allan

Students and staff found their rhythm at high energy, fun workshops presented by Derek De Beers on Friday, October 17. Derek brought a large assortment of drums and other percussion instruments such as shakers, odd contraptions involving pedals and instruments, and basketballs.

Students and staff learned from Derek that “You think you are drumming, but you are really doing mathematics. You are adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying. You are counting.” He added that mathematics is important in life, when people have to consider how much rent they pay, their hydro, their gas bill, etc. Teachers were very pleased that Derek highlighted the importance of mathematics.

However, Derek also stressed that without the Arts, students’ “souls would wither and die.” Derek stated that students need a combination of the right brain and the left brain to be successful.

Derek’s workshops were full of fun and drumming. One particularly amusing aspect was Derek’s assigning random names to students and teachers. Due to the very large numbers of participants, it would have been impossible for him to learn everyone’s name, so this was a clever way to still make a connection with the attendees.

The workshop was made possible by a subsidy from the Crabtree Foundation, which subsidized the “Bboyizm” workshop held last year. Students and teachers both enthused over how much fun they had had, and several said they would love it if Derek were to come again

by Elizabeth Steele-Drew

Granite Ridge Education Centre celebrated the accomplishments of the grade 9 -11 students from the 2013-2014 school year on October 15 at our annual Academic Awards Assembly. Congratulations to all Gryphons from last year on their excellent academic achievements. Students received subject awards for earning the highest mark in a class; honour pins for earning an 80% or more average; a Provincial Standard Award for reaching the Provincial Standard average of 70%; a Gryphon of Extraordinary Excellence award for earning Excellent in all 6 learning skills in 6 subjects as well as special awards generously donated by community members. As well, proficiency trophies for earning the highest academic average in a grade were awarded to Alison Maddison (Grade 11 with an 89%), Riley Teal (Grade 10 with a 91%) and Brianna Drew (Grade 9 with a 92%). Seventy-five percent of last year’s grade 9 class, seventy-eight percent of the grade 10s and eighty-three percent of the grade 11s from the last school year were recognized for their incredible academic accomplishments. The staff of Granite Ridge Education Centre would like to thank the parents/guardians who attended. We appreciate the partnership that we have developed to support our students as they learn and grow.

 The event is just one of three United Way fundraisers that happen annually at the school every year. Local area high school students can also support the KFLA United Way at their upcoming Starlight Film Festival event, which takes place in Kingston at the Cineplex Odeon on Gardiners Road from 12:30AM-6:30 AM on Saturday, November 8 (Friday night to Saturday morning). Five PG-rated movies will be shown: Anchorman 2, Despicable Me, Pacific Rim, Pitch Perfect and X-Men: First Class. Tickets are $20 (cash only) and include free arcade games, unlimited popcorn, a drink and a free hot dog. The event is only for high school students and is a non-smoking event. Valid student ID is required. Doors open at 12:30 AM and close at 1:30AM. For more information contact the KFLA United Way at 613-542-2674 or visit www.unitedwaykfla.ca

Submitted by NAEC

The students of North Addington Education Centre will be suiting up in their Campbell’s Soup costumes on October 31 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 a dozen secondary students will be spreading 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 fourth year for the very successful event. We’re asking community members to contribute what they can. We will be having three to four students canvassing each community between approximately 5:00 and 8:00pm. They will be wearing NAEC ID tags 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.

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: “The response we have received is overwhelming. We would not be able to organize events like this without the support of very generous families in this community. I am proud to see students take ownership of the area in which they live and recognize what really matters”.

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!

Candidates for the mayoral race in central and north Frontenac took to the stage at the Granite Ridge Education Centre cafetorium on October 14 as part of the school's Student Vote program.

The program, which has been running at the school since 2003, is being headed up this year by Mr. McVety's grade 12 history class. Since 2003 students at the school have been involved through the program in all of the municipal, provincial and federal elections except for ones that took place during the summer months.

On Tuesday the four mayoral candidates, who included Frances Smith and incumbent Janet Gutowski from Central Frontenac, and Claudio Valentini and Ron Higgins from North Frontenac, took to the stage, each advocating why they are the best choice for mayor.

The assembly was mediated by senior students Josh Keefe and Brandy Armstrong and the candidates were timed by Caleb Poirier and Geoff Dewar. Students from grades 7 through 12 listened first to the introductions, after which a number of students posed direct questions to the candidates.

The questions from students included:

1) What issues does each candidate feel are the most important in the community?

2) How is he or she going to help youth in the community? and

3) Why they feel that they are the best choice for the job.

Later in the week students will vote for the candidates and the winners will be announced at a later date. The aim of the Student Vote program is to engage youth about politics and the issues that directly effect them. Randy McVety said that he wanted to “engage students, especially at the municipal level of government, which is the one closest to them and the one that is most likely to impact their lives.” McVety also cited “the abysmally low level of voter turn out at all government elections”. He hopes that getting youth involved will encourage them to remain engaged in the political process once they graduate from school.

McVety was grateful to the four candidates, who took the time to come out and speak to the students.