The septic system for the Granite Ridge Education Centre, currently under construction in Sharbot Lake, has been the subject of consultation between the Limestone District School Board and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for a year.

Because the school is located within 300 metres of the west basin of Shabot Lake, which has been identified as a Trout Sensitive Lake by the province, an environmental compliance approval from the ministry was needed before the septic system could be constructed.

On August 23, that approval was granted.

Sarah Dick, Senior Environmental Officer at the Kingston MoE office, said in an email: “On August 23, 2013, the Environmental Compliance Approval for the Granite Ridge Education Centre was issued. 
The approval permits the establishment of sewage works for the collection, transmission, treatment and subsurface disposal of domestic sewage, with a rated capacity of 17,000 litres per day. The new system is equipped with phosphorus treatment, which is a significant improvement to the previous system.”

The septic system will need to be constructed and approved before the new school will be able to receive an occupancy permit from the Central Frontenac building department.

The Limestone Board is aiming to have the building ready for students in early November.

Josh Goodfellow first came to Sharbot Lake High School as a student. He returned fully grown, and accepted a position as an Educational Assistant on a casual basis, and started work in the School to Community classroom. Josh has a strong commitment to the well-being of all students and to the school community. He has worked as an effective member of the school team in many capacities at the school; in the School to Community program, as an Educational Assistant in the school’s LitFit class, a new and unique

program for grade 9 boys with behavioral and academic struggles, as a member of a professional learning team with teachers, and as a member of the school’s coaching staff, to name a few. In each of these roles, Josh’s support for all students is genuine, invaluable and always goes above and beyond his formal role.

Josh takes a lead in the School to Community program in several areas. He was instrumental in planning for and fund-raising for the school’s Snoezelen room. He

single-handedly raised over $10,000 for it. Josh helps to coordinate the school recycling program, involving the students in a meaningful way at every stage, and he works alongside the students in the greenhouse and community garden, assisting them in learning to cultivate plants and vegetables. Through his work in the School to Community program, he has become familiar with, and works closely with, several community agencies that support the students and their families.

Last year, Josh welcomed the opportunity to work in the school’s LitFit class with a group of very challenging grade 9 boys. His work involved supporting their skill development in self-control, conflict mediation, literacy strategies, and healthy living habits. Josh thrived in this program and the classroom teacher found his input and

leadership with the students to be invaluable. Several of the boys now have a positive rapport with Josh and rely on him when situations become challenging. This has had a very positive impact on the tone in the school.

Josh attends staff meetings on a regular basis and participates in professional learning opportunities. This year he joined a learning team on differentiated instruction to enhance the strategies he uses when working with and supporting students. Josh also gets involved in the extra-curricular activities at the school, coaching or assisting the coach, in all sports. As a result of this involvement, there are many students who seek out Josh for support of social and emotional situations. He is empathetic, compassionate, very grounded, and professional in his creative and effective approach to students. Josh readily responds to medical emergencies as a member of the school’s First Aid team. As well, he competently steps in to support the Principal, Vice-Principal, and teacher-in charge during sensitive or high risk situations that can arise in a high school with students or parents. Any time that Josh has taken on this role, he does so professionally, appropriately, and always using sound judgment.

The Sharbot Lake family is very fortunate to have Josh in their midst, with his numerous contributions to the school community, his passion for helping students, and his warm and ready smile for everyone.

The Limestone District School Board is proud to honour Josh Goodfellow with an Outstanding Service Award.

NAEC’s students presented a sea of pink on April 10, the International Day of Pink. It is estimated that at least 90% of the students wore some form of pink, be it a pink shirt, pink shoes, or other pink items. This is the biggest turn-out of pink people at the school since the first NAEC Day of Pink in 2011.

The students gathered together for a Whole School Photo, and a short assembly. Ms. Salmond reminded the students about the background of the Day of Pink. A student at a Nova Scotia school was bullied because he was wearing a pink shirt. A group of students went and bought pink shirts and wore them to school as an anti-bullying gesture. The International Day of Pink is specifically designed to combat homophobic and gender-based bullying.

Mrs. Fuller’s Grade 1/2 class, Ms. Buck’s Grade 5/6 class and Ms. Cuthill’s Grade 6/7 class all made displays regarding the Day of Pink. These were (and are) displayed in the front foyer, for students, staff and visitors to consider. Other classes viewed videos, made posters, or had discussions about being sensitive, kind and accepting of everyone.

Jeremy Dias, who started DayofPink.org, will be visiting NAEC on April 17, to continue the conversation. Jeremy was, himself, a victim of homophobic bullying and started “Jer’s Vision”, a non-profit group dedicated to ending bullying and educating people about acceptance. Principal Angela Salmond commented, “We are very pleased to have Jeremy come and talk to us. We tried to schedule him last year, but had no luck. This year, Ms. Gaffney and Mr. Kerr, along with the Limestone District School Board, have managed to arrange a visit.”

Students, staff and supporters of the Brooke Valley School near Maberly demonstrated what community spirit is all about and busted move after move on the dance floor at the community hall in Maberly on Saturday April 6.

The school's fundraiser event featured on stage the talents of Terry Tufts, his wife Kathryn Briggs along with Don Kenny, Ken Workman and Sean Burke as they performed an evening of Rolling Stones hits that kept the crowd on their feet.

The school, which opened 38 years ago, in 1975, was begun by a handful of young parent back-to-the-landers, many of whom were professional teachers who wanted to educate their kids closer to home.

I spoke with one of those parents, Coral Nault, now a grandmother many times over, who teaches the school's 14 students in grades 1 through 8. “It was back in 1975 that we contacted the Ministry of Education to find out how to start our own school. We got all of the information and were granted permission, and the school has been running ever since,” Nault said.

The school was originally located in a house, and in 1979 it was moved into a 1860 log building. The parents renovated the building but it burned down a few years later, in 1981. The present day school building is located at 190 Seaborne on 300 acres of land. It was built the same year through fundraising dollars along with free labour given by parents and supporters. The two storey building consists of two main areas: one upper more traditional classroom with desks, and a lower classroom area that serves as the art, lunch room, and stage area. The school's curriculum follows the Ministry of Education guidelines and then some, and it offers an extensive theatre and art component as well as outdoor education, hiking and outdoor sports activities.

The school also boasts its very own archeological dig site where the old log house once stood. With Nault, who is also a trained illustrator and theatre buff (students perform four shows a year), students are getting more than their fair share of fine art and theatre studies while she is ruling the roost. “The kids here get a lot of confidence from theatre and performance and academically they have no problems at all.”

Nault said that when she and the other parents started out, they never imagined that the school would be around almost four decades later. “We never thought others would want their kids to attend and in fact we thought we were just building a school for our own children. This year my last grandchild is in school with me.” She said that if the school had eventually closed, the parents had plans to turn it into a retirement home. But that plan has never needed to be pursued.

Tufts and his band opened the evening with the rousing Stones classic Satisfaction which got all ages out of their seats and was followed by countless very danceable classics. A highlight of the evening took place when current and former students at the school joined the band on stage for “Wild Horses” and “You Can't Always Get What You Want”.

The latter song, however, has not applied to the visionary Brooke Valley School parents; for them, rather, it has been the case that if you have the will, know how and determination - you can get exactly what you want.

It is no surprise that the plans for a 50-year anniversary celebration at Clarendon Central Public School (CCPS) in Plevna began with two women who both have had a long and rich history there.

Heather White, an early graduate and former caretaker at the school, and Brenda Martin, one of the school's former principals, began thinking about a 50-year anniversary celebration close to a year and a half ago. The two formed a committee to organize the event, which is open to everyone and will take place at the school on Saturday, April 13 from 10am - 4pm.

The event is to remember and celebrate the beloved community school whose motto continues to be “Working Together, Learning Together, Growing Together”. Construction began on the school in 1961 and was completed in 1963 when it was officially opened. Clarendon Central would end up replacing 14 smaller schools in the surrounding area, including the Ardoch, Plevna, Fernleigh and Ompah school houses. John Walton was the school's first principal and its first teachers were Elinor (Burke) Black, Gail Wilson and Ernest Young. In 1988 plans were underway to add a gymnasium to the school, which was completed in 1992.

To this day the school continues to serve students and their families with a continued dedication to the arts, new technology, and hands on skills.

Brenda Martin was school principal from 1984-88 and headed up the silver anniversary celebrations in 1988. She spoke of what the school has meant to her over the years. “I was always impressed by the many talented students who attended the school over the years. So many of them were incredibly talented in the arts and technology areas and they really benefited from the many artists who came to the school to teach them a number of different skills, like wood working, tie-dying and mask making.” Many of those objects will be on display at the event.

Martin also spoke of the intimacy of the school because of its size, which is just under 100 students in total from kindergarten to grade 8. “Clarendon Central is a very unique little country school and teaching there was always been such a joy because the curriculum for the entire school could be so easily integrated.”

She recalled some of her favorite memories, which included bringing the students to her cottage where they learned about outdoor education: ice fishing, snow shoeing, native traditions and more. "I remember when the students paddled canoes down the Mississippi River to pick wild rice; it was such an intimate experience and I'm sure some of those students still carry with them some of those memories to this day.”

Martin is hoping to re-ignite some of those memories at the upcoming anniversary celebrations, where classrooms will designated by the various decades and special activities and events will be taking place in each location. Visitors will see displays of old photos and will be invited to participate in a number of special activities like trivia challenges, sock hops and other events from school days gone by.

In the '60s room pictures of the various old schoolhouses that CCPS replaced along with examples of furniture and school equipment from that era will be on display. The later years of the school will focus on new technology at the school including its smart boards and computers. Hungry visitors will be able to enjoy a '60s style cafe with hotdogs, hamburgs and sodas. There will also be a raffle for a number of special hand made items by former students, which include an oak blanket box by Brian Lemke, an original painting by Gleva Lemke and an original sketch by Carrie White.

At noon, a ceremony will take place with a welcome by current school principal Dave Allison, LDSB trustee Ann Goodfellow and North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton. There will also be available for purchase a 50th Anniversary year book titled "Remember When" and orders will be taken for a special DVD recording of the day's events.

Organizers hope to see everyone come out to help celebrate this special event at CCPS.

It sure didn't feel like a competition, due to the fact that creative people often prefer to collaborate rather than compete. But compete they did on March 27, when six students in total competed in the first round of the 2D Computer animation component of the Limestone Skills Competition at Sharbot Lake High School.

In the final minutes before turning in their finished products, the three teams, comprised of students from Sharbot Lake, North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne and Sydenham High School, scrambled to put together their final animated short films, all of which were created in Adobe Flash and ran just over a minute in length.

With just a few minutes left in the competition, one team groaned as they lost all of the backgrounds to their film but luckily managed to find a way to put them back in.

The students began at 8:30am and worked right through until 2pm, with a short lunch break. The goal was to write, design and create a “spring” themed 2D animated short complete with storyboard. The competing students, who were from grade nine through twelve, had to first develop their characters, complete a story board, create all of the backgrounds and then animate their characters.

I had a chance to watch the finished films along with three volunteer judges, Ilona Cox, Eric Wotherspoon and Josh Goodfellow. The judges marked the films out of a total of 100 points. Points were scored for clarity of the message, story quality, cinematography, storyboard changes and final animation. Under the heading of character design, the students were judged on their model sheets, character design, model structure, character expression and model control.

The competition was run by SLHS math and computer teacher Nick Laan. It is one of a variety of competitions that invites LDSB students to test their mettle in different hands on skills with the hopes of encouraging them to focus on skilled trades opportunities in their future careers and/or post secondary studies. “The students competing here today are employing numerous skills like creativity, originality, organizational skills, working under pressure and to a deadline as well learning how to collaborate in a team,” Laan said. “These annual competitions, which normally take place on a single day at St. Lawrence College, are happening at various locations this year and the goal is to allow students a chance to focus on a skilled trade option that they might be interested in pursuing after high school. A competition like this one acts as an entry way; this particular group of students, for example, who are interested in animation might end up working in animation, media or graphic arts, advertising or journalism, or in a number of other related fields.”

Katie Ohlke, who teaches graphic art and computers at NAEC and was also present at the competition, said, “Not only is this a real-world application of their skills and a chance for students to see if they are interested in the particular field of work but it also gives students in the north a chance to travel to other schools and meet and work with other students who have similar interests.”

Shortly after 2pm the final winners were announced. Kara Morey and Emily Woodcock of Sydenham High School won for their spring bunny love story. They are now eligible to compete in a regional qualifier round at St. Lawrence College in Kingston along with other high students all over Eastern Ontario. Emily said that she and Kara plan to keep training and working hard with the hopes winning the next round. Asked about the competition they were up against, Kara said, “I was pretty intimidated. The other films were really great and they could have easily won too.”

Should Kara and Emily win round two in Kingston, they will move on and will be eligible to compete in Waterloo at the provincial level. If they win again they can go on to the country-wide Skills Canada competition.

The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board recognizes students who are the Beacons of Hope of their school and community. Each school selects one student whose contributions reflect our Catholic virtues and contribute to the betterment of the community with dedication, integrity and gentle spirit.

On Thursday, March 21, Director of Education, Mr. Jody DiRocco, along with Trustee Wendy Proctor presented Rawlin Millar with the Beacon of Hope award for his exemplary leadership at St. James Major Catholic School. Rawlin’s opinions and advice are sought by his friends and school-mates and everyone follows his gentle guidance and encouragement. In the classroom, at recess and in extra-curricular activities, Rawlin is a positive role model for behaviour and his leadership at St. James Major Catholic School is a blessing to all of us.

Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on Sat. April 13 from 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Everyone is welcome whether you attended the school or not. For community members who moved into the area in retirement, you might wish to see how the little country school evolved. In the Sixties Decade room there will be a display about the schools that amalgamated prior to the construction of CCPS.

Photos still misssing! Students from the sixties and seventies do you have at least one photo to share? It might not be one taken at school, but one from home when you were school age. The Decade room organizers have worked very hard to put together great displays and we do not want to miss seeing your cute or funny face. Please contact Heather @ 479-5549; Mona @ 479-2868; or Cindy @ 479-2561, if you can loan any photos or items from the 60's and 70's.

The Committee has arranged parking at the back lot of North of 7 for all visitors. A shuttle will take you to the school and return you to your vehicle as needed. Because the school parking lot is so small, we ask that the limited spaces at the school be reserved for those with mobility issues. Parking along the highway is always discouraged for safety reasons.

A memorial wall has been organized by Marily Seitz (479-2855) to remember those former staff and students who passed away. She has collected a photo, years they were at the school and birth and death dates. If you have not been contacted by now about your loved one, please check that Marily has the information.

The fundraiser to cover anniversary expenses is the sale of raffle tickets. Prizes are: Sunbonnet quilt and quilt stand, an oak blanket box, a painting and a sketch. Other items from the committee will be sold as close to cost as possible. These include: a full color yearbook (also available on DVD), coffee mug and anniversary cards.

Please support your local school as it celebrates 50 years of educating children.

MP Scott Reid has a bit more time available these days than he normally would at this time of year because Parliament has been prorogued.

In what might seem an odd coincidence to some, he is using some of that time to work on what he describes as his major political passion, promoting democracy.

As Scott Reid told a room full of grade 10 students at Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) on Tuesday, Sept. 17, Canada does not use the form of democracy that he most favours. He prefers the way the Swiss govern themselves, pointing out that while in Canada citizens vote in a government once every few years, in Switzerland major public issues are settled through referenda. In 2010 Switzerland held six of them; in 2011 only one; in 2012, twelve; and by the time 2013 is finished there will have been nine.

Scott Reid’s comments came about as part of an exercise in democracy organized by GREC teacher Randy McVety. The students were presented with a proposal, and then asked to move their chairs to one of four corners of the room, the far left if they were strongly opposed, left if they were just opposed, right if they were in favour, and far right if they were strongly in favour. For the purposes of the exercises, two votes were cast for the more emphatic responses, and one for the more moderate.

But before counting the votes up, the students were invited to say why they had chosen as they had, and a moderated discussion took place. Then Scott Reid went to the corner that represented his vote on the matter and made his case.

The question that precipitated his comments about Switzerland had to do with the minimum voting age in Canada. By a significant, though not overwhelming, majority, the 15 and 16-year-old GREC students supported lowering the voting age to 16.

Students in favour of the change argued that the driving age is 16, and if someone is deemed capable of driving, why not let them vote. As well, they thought that lowering the voting age would help entrench the habit of voting. Another student argued that since voting takes place once every four years, a 17-year-old who is not eligible for the vote has to live with the consequences of the result while they are 18, 19, and 20.

Scott Reid was moderately in favour of the status quo, noting that it is consistent with the age that people are eligible to join military.

The other proposal that was bought forward was about marijuana laws.

For this question, Randy McVety had those students who favour full legalization of marijuana, so that it will be produced and sold in much he same way liquor is now, to sit in the strongly in favour section; those who support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana were to sit in the in favour section; and those who support the current laws were to sit in the opposed or strongly opposed sections.

The largest group of students sat in the strongly opposed section, although a number of students sat in the strongly in favour sections as well.

A wide-ranging, animated debate ensued, with some students arguing that marijuana is safe; others that it is dangerous; some saying it is a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs; some saying the current state of affairs is unworkable and should be scrapped; and some calling for more enforcement.

When it came to his turn, Scott Reid bounded down to sit with those in favour of full legalization.

He then took the stage and asked the students to name two things that Barack Obama, George Bush Jr. and Bill Clinton have in common.

“They have all been US presidents, and they have all admitted to smoking marijuana, and they all oppose legalizing marijuana,” Reid said. “I’ve never smoked marijuana, or cigarettes, but I favour legalization.”

Reid went further, saying that drug policies in North America are illogical, wrongheaded, and inconsistent.

“Let’s talk about gateway drugs and dangerous drugs,” Reid added. “The most significant gateway drug is cigarettes, and the drug that does the most damage is alcohol, and they are both legal, and should be in my view.”
He pointed out that an attempt was made to make alcohol illegal, “and it was a disaster.”

On this issue, Scott Reid differed from not only the majority of the students in the room, but with his own Conservative Party as well, which he pointed out has toughened the penalty for possession of marijuana.

“I was the only one in my party who voted against that legislation,” he said.

Reid may have been in the minority at GREC and a lonely figure in his own party, but his views are supported by the many across the country. Polls in recent years have consistently shown that a solid majority of Canadians, up to 66% or more, favour decriminalization of marijuana, and a slim majority favour legalization. And it is not the youth vote that drives these results. Thirty-five to 54-year-olds are as strongly in favour of change as are those under 35.

Using the weighted vote system, Randy McVety determined there were 42 votes in favour of the status quo and 36 for either decriminalization or legalization.

Scott Reid then spent the rest of the morning in smaller classroom settings at Granite Ridge Education Centre.

Students of the Skills Link Blossoms Pre- Construction Program, an eight-week program offered through the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake through Services Canada, have strapped on their tool belts and hard hats and have been bettering the local community while putting their new skills to the test. Under the tutelage of Central Frontenac Fire Chief Bill Young, the students in the program have been tackling a number of projects in and around Central Frontenac to fulfill the practical element of the course, which also includes two weeks of in-class studies.

I visited the students at the Treasure Trunk in Sharbot Lake last week where they were in the process of erecting a new portable 10 x 12 ft double-door storage shed, complete with vinyl siding and a shingled roof. They designed the project on paper first and Bill Young compared it to “designing a house, only smaller.”

Prior to this project the students had completed an earlier project at the ice rink in Arden where they replaced all of the rink boards. After completing the shed the students will be putting in a new stair well at the new basement access entrance at North Frontenac-Community Living.

Students who complete the course will receive a diploma and Young said the course is “a great way to impart construction skills, prepare them for the work force, and give them hands-on experience.” For one student, Cody Massey, it was the first time he has had the chance to learn how to use tools he had never used before and his first time doing any kind of construction work. After completing the program he will working in construction up north in Resolute Bay, where he landed his first construction job. Katie Hoadley also enjoyed the course. “You are working at something different every day, which makes it enjoyable, challenging and interesting,” she said. She is also hoping to land a job in the field in the near future.