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Wednesday, 27 November 2013 19:00

New Addition Nearing Completion At Sydenham HS

Big changes are underway at Sydenham High School as the construction of the brand-new 14,000 sq.ft. state of the art learning facility is nearing completion.

Located on the west side of the school with frontage on Rutledge Road and Mill Street, the addition includes a new 5000 sq. ft. gym that has a 26 ft. ceiling and is equipped with wheelchair-accessible men's and women's change rooms, and a bright south-facing computer lab lined with newly milled maple/ walnut counter tops that will house 30 work stations. The addition also includes a wheelchair-accessible drama facility complete with a mini theatre with 90 retractable seats, an attached controls room, plus ample change rooms and a storage room for props.

The new space also houses the school's “Foods Program” facility which includes a traditional classroom to which is attached a new state of the art industrial kitchen in a bright room with floor to ceiling south-facing windows. The kitchen boasts ample stainless steel counter tops and a array of shiny new stainless steel appliances, numerous gas stoves, and convection ovens plus a large walk-in fridge and two free-standing freezers.

I toured the new facility with Vice-Principal Brent Pickering as the builders continued their work polishing the new terrazzo floors. He said that the project has actually been in the works for six years. Construction began 14 months ago and is slated to be finished before the second semester starts in February.

The project was made possible with provincial funding through the capital expenditures budgets and cost over $3 million. Initially the addition was to include just four new classrooms but thanks to the input of SHS teachers Jeff Sanderson and Leslie Lawlor, who worked closely with the Limestone District School Board's Director of Education, Brenda Hunter, the project was reconfigured with the goal of creating a space that would best fit the needs of the students at Sydenham.

A tour of the school's current facilities, which the new facility will be replacing, demonstrates why both students and staff at the school are excited. The drama facility is currently located in an old storage room, a small black 600 sq. ft. space that can barely contain the class that I saw working there. Similarly, the Foods Program facility is presently housed in a cramped old science lab, making instruction and practical work hands on kitchen work difficult at the best of times.

The project was designed by Armando Sardinha of H.M. Sardinha Architect Inc of Kingston and is being constructed by Cupido Construction of Kingston.

Pickering says that the new space will offer students a top-notch learning facility and will also give members of the community at large a new space where they can carry out their own events.

“The new drama space and the theatre in particular will be a great asset to various groups and organizations in the community. The new foods program space will give students a real leg up when they go looking for jobs in the hospitality industry since they will be learning on equipment used in the industry.”

The new addition will also mean that two of the school's three portables will be able to be used for much needed storage space.

Also in the works are plans for two new electronic signs, which will let the community know of school events and which will also promote local community events.

Tabitha Kirby, who is the lead foods program teacher at the school, said she is looking forward to moving into the new facility. “I am thrilled that the students will have the opportunity to work in an industrial kitchen that reflects real life situations, which will really help their employability. The new space also means that we can do larger caterings than those we are doing right now.”

Right now the students prepare the hot lunches at Loughborough Public School and cater SHS's end of year graduation.

Pickering said that staff who have had a chance to tour the new addition come out with the same standard response: “It is an amazing space and will be a great new learning facility for the students and a place for the community to take advantage of as well.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Gary Auerbach uses his skills as both a former world freestyle Frisbee champion and as an inspirational speaker to help young people learn the tools they need to be successful.

Auerbach, who won the World Freestyle Frisbee Championship in 1995 while living in Toronto, has been speaking to youth at school assembly programs for close to two decades.

He made a special visit to Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove on November 21, where he engaged the entire school in an assembly and conducted small workshops focused around Frisbee skills. “It's not so much about showing them what I can do with a Frisbee but showing them what they can do with one,” Auberbach said. “Frisbee is the perfect life-long physical activity that they can do with family and friends and it gets them outside, away from all the little screened boxes and puts a fun circle in their hands.”

Auerbach was invited to the school after LOLPS student support teacher Kathy Bateman saw Auerbach years ago at an Ontario Physical and Health Educators' Association conference. “I loved what he did and have wanted to get him to come to Mountain Grove for years now,” Bateman said.

Auerbach, who is a citizen of both Canada and the United States, now works and lives in Winchester, Virginia but comes to Canada often to visit family and friends. Mountain Grove was just one of the two Canadian stops on this trip and he captured the attention of the LOLPS students from the get go. He demonstrated the many ways to throw, roll, balance, juggle, flip and handle a huge assortment of Frisbees in all shapes, colours and sizes. He told of the history of the Frisbee and how it was modeled after tin pie pans made at the Frisbee Pie Company in Connecticut, where workers liked to toss the tin plates around on their breaks. After plastic was later invented, the first Frisbees, which were then called flying saucers, were made from it. Later they would be named Frisbees after the owners of the Connecticut pie company.

Auerbach delivered a polished performance and his lively sense of humor and friendly delivery had students smiling, laughing, and generally falling in love with the game. What staff liked most about him was his underlying message. LOLPS Principal Emily Yanch said Auerbach's presentation fit in perfectly with the school board's focus on the development of “growth mind set” in students. “The idea is to encourage effort and perseverance in students and to show them how both pay off in terms of becoming life-long learners,” Yanch said.

Auerbach's presentation reinforced those ideas. When he demonstrated one “next to impossible” under the leg move but did not succeed, he quipped, “It's okay to mess up but not to give up." He then tried the move again with the words “Take two!”. He had the students mesmerized with the huge assortment of Frisbees he performed with: a yo-yo style Frisbee, a long-tailed Frisbee, a tiny baby one, a kite-tailed one, a huge oversized yellow one, a pizza Frisbee, a feather-tailed Frisbee, one ninja, one Elvis and a recycled plastic Frisbee, a flying saucer, and one with raised markers, which is used by the visually impaired.

He spoke of initially being scared of Frisbees but gradually overcoming his fear. After a lot of practice he became good at it and later on a world champion. He likened the flight of a Frisbee to the way an airplane wing works. "Throw it straight - it goes straight; tilt it upwards and it flies upwards.” He showed how to angle or blank its flight, and how to fly it upside down.

Auerbach invited any students with new Frisbee ideas to let him know. The students I spoke to said the presentation inspired them to play the game and some even said they planned on making their own yo-yo style Frisbee at home.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 20 November 2013 19:00

NAEC Students Show Their Moves

On November 12, NAEC students attended breakdancing workshops with professional dancers Melly Mel and Rahime. The Grade 5/6, 6/7, 7/8, and Restart classes, as well as nearly 30 Secondary students, took to the floor in a high energy dance workout. Melly Mel and Rahime took students through a series of moves, slowly at first, and then at an increased pace. They then put the moves together, so that students were performing a full dance sequence.

The workshops were geared to the ages of the students, so Rahime and Melly Mel had students doing different moves and routines.The students really enjoyed the high energy workshop, and felt they had really worked hard. The next day student Josie Chaisson remarked on how much work it had been. “It was really fun, but my legs are really stiff today,” she said. “Imagine how they must have felt after doing a whole day of dancing!” The workshop was one of the many offered by MASC, an arts organization based in Ottawa.

The workshop was subsidized by a generous donation from The Crabtree Foundation, which made it possible for NAEC to afford a full-day workshop. It was also subsidized by The North Addington Guild, which helps NAEC students experience arts opportunities they would otherwise not be able to. Readers interested in learning more are directed to www.masconline.ca and www.bboyizm.ca

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Thursday, 21 May 2009 09:43

Gsca_09-20

Back to HomeFeature Article - May 21, 2009 Public Meeting about "The Point"by Wilma Kenny

Over 40 Sydenham residents came to the township hall last week for a meeting to discuss concerns and planning for the Point. All agreed that the Point was a valuable community resource, but one with a number of issues that needed to be addressed.

The meeting was called by the Greater Sydenham Community Association (GSCA), and chaired by Lorie Reid and township works manager Mark Segsworth.

In introducing the evening, Segsworth noted that since the popularity of the “Bubba Bowl”, there had been a growing interest on the part of area parents to have permanent lights installed at the football field. Concurrently, the GSCA has pinpointed a need for various improvements at the Point, and in order to develop a vision for the park, obtained a grant from the Frontenac Community Development Centre to hire architect Bruce Downey to develop a “concept drawing”. As part of this process, there had been consultation with various interested groups, including the Loughborough Recreation Committee, the Women's Institure, the Legion, and immediate neighbours.

This was the first public meeting.

History of the Park - Officially called "Loughborough Memorial Recreation Centre" but popularly known as "the Point", the park has been a community picnic and swimming area ever since the area was settled.

Until 1947 the Point was part of a privately-owned farm. At that time, the Sydenham Women's Institute (WI) and the Sydenham Board of Trade took an option to buy the property.

In 1971, the WI transferred the property to Loughborough Township, with the understanding that it would be kept in perpetuity “for the benefit and enjoyment of all its citizens”.

Present Use - Every summer, the Loughborough Recreation Committee hires staff to teach swimming lessons and run a children's recreation program at The Point. There is a (lighted) ball diamond, a tennis court that is now used by skateboarders, a boat launch site, bandstand, football field - also used for soccer, and a running track.

The park is used for general swimming and picnicking, Canada Day celebrations, Sydenham Canoe Club regattas, and will be the headquarters for a triathlon event this summer. It's also the site of the Sydenham water treatment plant, and the property abuts the township hall and library on the northwest, and the Loughborough schoolyard to the south. Several years ago, the township agreed to lease the football field to Sydenham High School for a nominal annual fee. In return, the school agreed to maintain the football field and track (installing underground watering system, sowing and sodding as needed, and mowing.) However, the football field remains part of the township's property.

Maintenance - Through its volunteer recreation committee, the township hires a private contractor to mow the grass and do basic maintenance. This summer, the committee will be hiring students to do extra upkeep on this and three other township parks. The organizers of special events are responsible for providing extra toilet facilities when deemed necessary, and for all clean-up related to their events.

In spite of all this, vandalism, littering and lack of adequate toilet facilities and change rooms are ongoing concerns. Vandalism in the area has extended to destruction of the picnic tables at the LPS outdoor classroom.

At the public meeting, several residents asserted that the vandalism and littering were worse during the daylight hours when school was in session, but were less during the summer, when there was more general use of the park. (It was noted that students have also held clean-up drives.)

The skateboard area in particular seemed to be a focus for noise, graffiti, destruction and littering. Mark Segsworth, in pointing out that the township had no parks committee per se, said that the recreation committee was made up of volunteers, who should be commended for the enormous amount of time and work they devoted to organizing recreational events in the township.

Football Field Lights - Neighbouring residents dreaded having their properties subjected to such brilliant lights during summer, spring and fall evenings. They were concerned that Sydenham would become a centre for sports tournaments, and also expressed concern about the increased noise and traffic generated by night games.

Parents with children on football and soccer teams said night games would give more opportunities for working parents to watch their children play, and expressed willingness to help raise money to pay for the lights.

A soccer league representative said there were over 700 children in the area playing soccer, and although most teams don't use the Sydenham field at present, that would change, if it were lighted.

Others suggested the field was already in poor condition, and unable to accommodate heavier use.

Traffic - Neighbours expressed concern about traffic, particularly speeding and noise in the park and along Wheatley Street. Noon hours during the school year seem to generate particularly heavy motor traffic in the park.

The Beach - Not a natural beach, and heavily used during summer, the swim area often has too little sand and too many weeds.

Other Issues - The list of issues was long: is there interest in re-opening the tennis courts? Where and how can the skateboarders be accommodated? Are there better locations in South Frontenac for playing fields? How can we provide available, clean washroom and change room facilities and protect them from vandalism? What about building a meeting-room/conference space above the washrooms? Where might a permanent storage space for football equipment be located? Can the 'passive-use' spaces be improved by developing walkways?Could the school parking facilities be used more for large events at the Point? Can the water and power supplies be centralized?

Now What? - In summary, Lorie Reed said the community association would review the concerns and issues, and put together a proposal to go to the recreation committee, who in turn could make recommendations to council.

She reminded the group that while no proposal could please everybody, but clearly nobody seemed happy about the status quo, either. She said the present design concept was available to anyone who wished to read it. For more information, or to contact the GSCA, go to their website: tgsca.ca

Published in 2009 Archives
Thursday, 19 May 2011 13:14

Sharbot Lake Runners Do Well

Photo: Linda VanAlstine, Sandy Robertson, Rudy Hollywood, and Joan Hollywood participated in the Perth Sap Run on Saturday, April 30

The Sharbot Lake runners and walkers have done well. A few weeks ago the walkers took part in a 17km Walk for Wildlife; this past week the runners took the spotlight at the Perth’s Sap Run and the Kingston 5km and half marathon.

On Saturday before breakfast and taking in the activities at the Perth Festival of the Maples, some of the “Herd”, the Sharbot Lake running club, took medals at the Perth 5km Sap-Run. Under the watchful eye of coach Rudy Hollywood, Sandy Robertson and Linda VanAlstine placed 1st and 3rd in their age group while Joan Hollywood placed 2nd in hers. Rudy also placed in his category in spite of hanging back to coach the other herd members. At the Limestone Half Marathon run in Kingston on Sunday, other “Herd” members, Lynette Whan, Nikki Greenstreet, and Andy had a strong showing. Sandy Robertson placed 3rd in her age group in the 5km run. Michelle Greenstreet and Angus also ran the 5km.

The Herd of runners meets every Sunday Morning 9AM at the Gym on Clement Road & 38. Starting on May 24 we’ll resume meeting at the Sharbot Lake Beach. Walkers are welcome.

The Herd put on a local race in February with over 70 participants and plans on putting on a 1k, 5k, and 10k “Canada Day Race” for walkers and runners on July 3 from the Sharbot Lake Beach in support of the local Alzheimer’s Society and the Legion. Join us if you are in the area. Contact: Rudy Hollywood 613-279-2761 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Submitted by the Herd

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Opened in 1992, Almost Home is a home located in Kingston that provides comfort and respite to the families of sick children who are receiving various types of medical treatment in Kingston area hospitals. While doctors and nurses and other medical staff treat the children, the goal of Almost Home is to provide a place where families can offer the necessary emotional support to their children in a warm, comfortable environment as they undergo treatment. Located within easy walking distance of Hotel Dieu and the Kingston General Hospital, the home is wheelchair accessible and offers full sleeping accommodations for up to 11 families.

Almost Home provides families with parking, access to kitchen facilities and all of the usual comforts of home. Almost Home makes it “easy for parents to maintain their bedside vigil and allows children undergoing treatment to leave their hospital beds to spend time with their families in a home-like setting”. The facility also allows children attending clinics to have a place to go between appointments, or a place to stay overnight if necessary, surrounded by their families. Often a sick child's hospital stays and treatments away from home can cause stress to all members of the family. Almost Home allows families to stay together during these times of stress.

The cost of the service, which is run solely by volunteers, and which receives no financial support from the federal and provincial governments, is approximately $280,000 per year. Help is needed to keep this important service up and running. The 19th annual fundraising golf tournament for Almost Home will take place at the Rivendell Golf Club in Verona on Friday, May 27. To register online please visit www.almosthome.on.ca or call 613-548-8255.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Sydenham’s Natasha Ostopovich was a key figure in the glory days of the Sydenahm Canoe Club and she has gone on to make name for her self in the United States.

She was one of two Washington State University seniors honoured with the 2011 Big Ten Senior Award in Athletics.

Ostopovich graduated from WSU in May 2011 with Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology and a 3.25 grade point average. While at WSU, she was a dedicated member of WSU’s women’s varsity rowing team who twice finished in the top 8 at the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships.

Nominator Jane LaRiviere, WSU Women’s Rowing head coach, calls Ostopovich a completely self-directed leader who has a sincere and humble approach to life. In her nomination letter, LaRiviere noted, “In my 17 years as a collegiate rowing coach and educator, I have not had a student athlete exemplify the athletic excellence, sportsmanship, dedication, and service traits…more than Natasha Ostopovich.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Thursday, 05 May 2011 13:20

Sydenham Lake canoe club

Photo: Jack Fenlong (Boat No.1) of SLCC competes in the 2010 Eastern Ontario Divisional (EOD) Championships at the Rideau Canoe Club (Mooney’s Bay) in Ottawa

Summer fun and fitness starts here! The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club will be hosting two Open Houses on May 14 and May 21 between 10AM and 1PM at the club located behind Foodland in Sydenham. Adults, parents and their children will have a chance to try out a recreational or competitive canoe or kayak, register and enquire about the programs. Afterwards, they can relax and enjoy a BBQ lunch at the club.

The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, now in its 14th year, is a non-profit club founded by local Olympic paddler George Jones. George, the club’s commodore, wanted youth, including his own children, to also have the opportunity to “Go for the Gold”. George continues to be involved in the club because he believes that not all youth thrive in the team sport environment. He believes that paddling provides youth with an alternative. Paddling is a non-contact, low-carbon footprint, individual sport that allows youth to achieve their personal best.

With the support of the local community, the club strives to offer programs that suit all members of the family. The Youth Sprint Paddling Program is a half-day program for paddlers from ages 7-18. Here the youth will receive on-water instruction in competitive sprint paddling from an experienced sprint coach. This year the youth may have the opportunity to compete in regattas in Ottawa and Welland Ontario.

Roger L’Abbe, father of Genevieve L’Abbe, a youth sprint paddler who competed in the provincial Trillium Regatta in Sudbury last year, says, “I’ll never forget the surprise in the announcer’s voice when they realized that a paddler from the small town of Sydenham, Ontario, was in the running for a medal. I felt really proud and appreciative that this opportunity was available to us.”

The club also has a Master’s program in the evenings for adults who may wish to paddle recreationally or compete at the Master’s events. Regardless of personal goals, adult paddlers will enjoy the opportunity to improve their fitness level and make new friends.

The club offers a Canoe Kids Day Camp for youth ages 7-14. The day camps run for seven weeks from July 4 –August 19. This year, the camps will be divided into two types of programs. Those in July, along with emphasizing just plain fun and friendship, will give youth the opportunity to develop skills in the area of sprint paddling if they wish to try competing in regattas. The camps in August will be theme-based, allowing youth to paddle recreationally and explore their interests. With an emphasis on social, natural history and art, youth will be given the opportunity to get creative and discover their local community.

For more information please contact Helen Parfitt at 613-376-6613, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.sydenhamlakecanoeclub.webs.com.

 

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Thursday, 28 April 2011 13:21

Wildlife walkers in Sharbot Lake

On April 15, 17 walkers from Sharbot Lake and the surrounding area met at the Sharbot Lake caboose to take part in the first ever official Sharbot Lake walk for The Canadian Wildlife Federation's Walk for Wild Life campaign. Recognizing this year as the International Year of Forests, the walks are aimed at raising awareness about sustainable forest management and habitat conservation in Canada and participants are encouraged to take note of any wild life sightings that they see. The Sharbot Lake walk was one of five walks that took place in Ontario that week; the others were in Bath, Kanata, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Bar Haven. The group walked from Sharbot Lake to Maberly, a journey of 17 kilometres, which took them roughly four hours. Between them they tallied up a total of 234 km., which will be added to the national total. The day started off chilly but the walkers, quickly warmed up under a bright, sunny sky.

Organizer Gloria Opzoomer of Balderson, who is a member of the Canadian Wildlife Federation, planned the walk this year and was pleased with the turnout. “The walk not only encourages Canadians to get out and walk but also to be aware of biodiversity and our standing forests, which hopefully will continue to stand for many years to come.” She reported that along the way the group identified 13 species of birds and three frog species, including a wood frog, which many had never heard of before. They also saw the tallest pussy willow shrub that most of them had ever seen.

The campaign runs until May 22 and those still interested in participating can sign up as a group or individually. They are encouraged to tally up their kilometres and add them to the website’s total at nationalwildlifeweek.com

The group enjoyed the walk so much that they are planning a second walk in the fall.

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

David Struthers is a 21-year-old figure skater who has skated out of Montreal for several years, but he was raised in Sharbot Lake, where his biggest fans still live.

Vicky Garneys and Richard Struthers are headed to London this weekend to see their son skate on the same ice as Joannie Rochette and Michael Chan.

David qualified to be one of 15 skaters at the National Championship in the Men's Singles Division by finishing 10th in the Divisional qualifying tournament a few weeks ago.

“He has been skating well this year. At one tournament he would skate a good short program; at another he would skate well in the long program, but at Divisionals be skated both programs well, which was good timing for him,” said his mother Vicky when interviewed in Sharbot Lake last week.

David is primarily known as a pairs skater, but he has always competed in singles as well, and when an injury forced his most recent pairs partner, Sarah Horkoff, to pull out of competitive skating last year, it left David with no partner so he has focused more on his singles skills.

If he is to continue in the sport after this season, however, he will need to find a partner, because pairs skating is where his focus has always been.

Although he is among the top 15 singles skaters in the country now, he does not do all the jumps that the top three or four skaters can do, so there is a limit to his potential.

“He also finds singles skating less interesting. Pairs skating has always been his favourite,” said Vicky Garneys.

Finding a suitable partner at his level is a difficult task. Women pairs skaters must be rather small, because they get thrown around. They also must be fearless, because pairs is the most dangerous discipline in skating, particular for the women.

As well, David lands his jumps on his left leg, so he needs to find a partner who lands and spins in the same direction he does.

“When you add all the politics of skating clubs and coaching to that, you can see how hard it really is to find a partner,” said Vicky Garneys.

There is another skater in Montreal who might be able to skate pairs with David, and he will probably find out this spring if it is a go. “Otherwise, this could be his final competition,” Vicky said “and he is really happy to have realised his goal for the year of qualifying for the Nationals as a senior skater,” Vicky said.

And he will have a proud contingency from Sharbot Lake on hand to cheer him on.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Page 10 of 21
With the participation of the Government of Canada