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Feature Article - March 29, 2007Sydenham Lake Canoe Club celebrates 10 years!
Once
again the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club is gearing up for another successful
season of canoeing and kayaking on the waters of Sydenham Lake and
other courses throughout Ontario. We are entering our tenth year of
operation as Sydenham Lake Canoe Club with the hopes of increasing our
membership and getting more kids and young adults interested in the
great sport of Sprint Canoe & Kayak racing. This year we are
hosting two of the most important regattas of the season, the Eastern
Ontario Divisionals on August 4 and the Cloverleaf Championships on
August 19, which brings togetherclubs from Eastern Ontario,
Western Ontario and Quebec. We invite all to come out and enjoy a great
day of races, raffles, food and fun!
The Sydenham Lake Canoe Club is holding its first membership registration of the season at the town hall in Sydenham on April 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. We encourage kids and young adults of all ages to see what a great sport it really is. We have a really beautiful lake here in Sydenham, and what a great way to spend your summer months paddling the waters, learning a new sport and making new friends. Look for our brochures in your schools and at businesses throughout South Frontenac. For further information, contact Erik or Kimberley Miazga 613-376-3654 or by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Feature Article - March 29, 2007Living L.I.F.E.at Sydenham High Schoolby Zannah Matson
It
is not often that a group of students is truly excited to stay after
school on a Friday night, but anticipation filled the air as a group of
50 girls made their way to the Sydenham Gymnasium. It was no ordinary
Friday on March 23; it was the first ever Sydenham High School Women’s
Night. As the matching tee shirts of the girls announced, the event is
called L.I.F.E., an acronym standing for a great mission of Leading
Inner Female Empowerment. The night brought together girls from all
grades and social groups to participate in workshops and discussions,
listen to guest speakers, watch movies, and bond through teamwork.
Organized in an attempt to break down familiar cliques that separate teenaged girls in an unhealthy fashion, and to educate these girls about issues surrounding their mental and physical well being. The KFLA Health Unit put on a workshop about body image for the girls that got them involved and talking about the way they see themselves and the factors that influence this image. The Take Charge Crew and Generation Empowered, a youth movement against tobacco, were present to give a presentation about smoking in movies and its greater effects on the health of its victims. There was physical training in both yoga and weights for the girls, as well as a self-defence workshop to teach them how to protect themselves. A classroom was turned into a spa for the evening, as two women did facials to teach them how to treat their skin, no matter what type. These workshops dealt with important issues that girls do not always have the opportunity to talk about, to create a well-rounded evening for the students.
There were discussions about abusive relationships and the varying degrees of abuse that all of the girls got involved in, followed by our guest speaker, Pam Havery, the Executive Director for Dawn House. Pam spoke about the ways in which her shelter empowers women, and how each woman should find her personal power within society. When the workshops were over, it was time for the girls to show what they had learned through skits that dealt with issues facing female students. This teamwork bonded the girls together and taught vital communication and problem-solving skills.
The connections made throughout the night among the girls are sure to last beyond the event and have brought together a group of people often arbitrarily segregated.
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Feature Article - March 8, 2007SouthFrontenac CouncilbyWilma Kenny
Canadian National Championship Powerboat Races at Sydenham Lake ?
Doug Overbury of the Canadian Boating Federation attended a February meeting of the Loughborough District Parks and Recreation Committee with his association’s proposal to resume their use of Sydenham Lake for national powerboat races this summer. He said they would run their races between 10 and 4 on two days, and requested the use of areas around the boat ramp for camping and parking.
The recreation Committee felt it would be necessary to have a public meeting to gauge community support. No date has been set yet, but late April has been suggested.
Sydenham Water Works By-law
South Frontenac Council passed a lengthy by-law to formalize the policies they have developed in relation to the Sydenham water system. CAO Burns observed that this by-law would not pose any additional burden on staff or the properties in the Hamlet of Sydenham.
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Feature Article - March 1, 2007Burn it Smart Workshops
If you heat with wood don’t miss the Burn it Smart workshop at the Sydenham High School Cafeteria in Sydenham from 7:00 pm on Monday, March 5th. The workshop is being led by WETT-trained wood heat specialists offering useful tips on efficient and safe wood burning practices. Participants will see for themselves the dramatic difference between old and new wood burning technology at the burn display and will receive a number of free booklets on wood burning.
The workshop also addresses wood smoke and its effects on air quality and health. Local topography and climate can trap smoke close to the ground, an effect which is sometimes noticeable on calm winter mornings in local valleys. Wood smoke is pollution and is not only unpleasant to breathe, it is downright unhealthy, especially for children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems.
Efficient wood burning practices, good seasoned fuel and new technology EPA woodstoves can reduce wood smoke significantly. Keep in mind, wood smoke is unburned fuel, so letting it go up the chimney where it can condense as creosote or be released as air pollution means less heat and can potentially lead to chimney fires. Learning how to Burn it Smart is what the workshop is about.
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Feature Article - April 26, 2007Bye-Bye Birdie at Sydenham HighSchool
by Jeff Green
The Sydenham High School Arts Department presented a winsome production of Bye Bye Birdie last weekend.
Bye Bye Birdie was written, and is set, in 1960, the pre-Beatles era when Elvis was king. Konrad Birdie (Ben Aarsen) is the fictional rock ’n roll star of the title, and his being drafted into the army is the impetus for the action of the play.
Although Birdie is the object of adulation for most of the characters, the play is really about a kind of love triangle between Birdie’s manager Albert Peterson (Josh Campsall), his long-suffering secretary Rose Alvarez (Emily Bashall) and his smothering mother Mrs. Peterson (Maureen McLaren).
When Albert and Rose decide to send Birdie to Sweet Apple, Ohio on a publicity stunt to bestow a kiss on one lucky girl, it sends the whole town into a tizzy.
The strength of the SHS production of Bye Bye Birdie lay in the exuberant way the performers played with what is, admittedly, a bit of a thin plotline.
Through a well designed set, extremely quick set changes, and bright costumes featuring more poodle skirts than you can shake a stick at, the performers managed to play with the material just enough for the audience to be aware that this is really a play from a bygone innocent era, without the whole production descending into a farce.
Many of the characters were aided by wireless headset microphones, which took a minute to get used but enabled the singers to concentrate on their pitch without worrying so much about volume. Since the production was backed up by a full 18-piece orchestra, and the SHS cafeteria does not have the greatest acoustics in the world, the headsets served the production well.
Emily Bashall as Rose Alvarez did a great job both singing and acting throughout the play, and Josh Campsall was particularly good at portraying music manager Albert Peterson’s insincerity and his desperate desire to please the two women in his life, all the while making him a likeable character.
As the self-described long-suffering mother, Maureen McLaren as Mrs. Peterson had some of the best lines of the play, and she played it for all it was worth, whining her way through the production.
Ben Aarsen played Birdie as a cross between Elvis and Justin Timberlake, knowing exactly how to move while talking and crooning his way through the play. It couldn’t have been hard to cast him for the role.
Kristen Pye had a difficult role to play as Kim McAfee, a 15-year-old trying to negotiate the transition into adulthood just as she is chosen to be the girl that will receive Birdie’s one last kiss before he joins the army. She did a good job singing, and portraying both Kim McAfee’s vulnerability and the dismissiveness she reserves for her parents.
Matt Allen as Mr. MacAfee and Amy Mansall as Mrs. MacAfee played the 50s sitcom-style parents with wit, and Megan Tidman as Kim’s younger sister Myrtle did a fine job standing up to her father as he unleashed his frustration towards Kim upon her.
(One minor note about the script at this point. Although the dated nature of the script is well understood when seeing a play like Bye Bye Birdie, the offhanded cruelty that Mr. McAfee expresses towards Myrtle, which was no doubt intended as innocent humour by the playwright, comes off as a sour note as compared to the rest of the play, which maintains a feeling of innocent fun in spite of all the stereotypes the characters embody)
Josh Freeman was excellent as Kim’s hapless boyfriend Hugo, and Tamara Jellema should be mentioned for her completely convincing rendition of a small-town teenage girl infatuated with a pop star. She was well supported by the other members of the fan club and the chorus dancers and singers.
In a production like Bye Bye Birdie, with 32 performers going on and off the stage, dozens of set changes, numerous songs, and a large orchestra, there was a lot of backstage work involved in making sure the play ran seamlessly.
Artistic Director Daniel Raponi, musical director Michael Verner, stage manager Vanessa Pignataro, and vocal Coach Kristin Stevens all deserve recognition for their efforts in creating such an enjoyable production at Sydenham High School.
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Feature Article - April 12, 2007Lions volunteers screen area school children
The thing we all see about service clubs is their fundraising activities. What we don’t always see is what they do with the money they raise. The
Lions Vision Screening program is a perfect example of how fundraising
meshes with volunteer service to fill a gap in our community schools.
A child’s entire classroom education depends on being able to see well. We all know stories of kids who struggled for years with school until someone thought to test them, but the system pays very little attention to kids’ eyesight. Sometimes teachers pick up cues, but there are no regular health department or school board programs to check basic sight quality. Enter the Lions Vision Screening program. Lions clubs in Verona, Sharbot Lake and Sydenham have volunteered to check every child in senior kindergarten and grade one in Clarendon, Land o’ Lakes, Hinchinbrooke, Sharbot Lake, St. James Major, Verona, Harrowsmith, St. Patrick and Loughborough Public Schools in several areas of visual performance.
The first part of the project was the purchase of a screening kit - at about $12,000 - which is shared with the 48 clubs of this Lions zone. Sydenham Lion Mary Ann Smith is the chairperson for our district’s Vision Screening Program. She has trained people to do sessions in many dozens of schools from east of Toronto to east of Sydenham, and she was at every one of the screenings in our area. With this kit, volunteers can test a child’s sharpness of vision, distance vision, and ability of the two eyes to work together. Once the program was in place, an area Lion set up times with each of our schools for members to go in and screen the students. Each participating student got a report to take home, which told parents whether the child had passed or failed the broad exams, and suggested that those kids who seem to be having difficulty – about 30% of students - be taken for a professional eye exam. Not all of these kids will be found to have a serious problem, but about one in six kids does. That’s five students in a class of 30 who might have had to struggle for years, undiagnosed.
It takes a lot of people to screen the kids, which is probably why it’s not being done by paid professionals. But one strength service clubs have is willing volunteers, and thanks to them, some of our kids will get the help they need. The volunteers are: from Sharbot Lake: Dawn & Dave Hansen, Richard Hicks, Gail Jackson, Bill Morton, Bill Pyle & Luc Salvador. From Verona: Ed Botting, Wayne Conway, Louise Day, Don Kelsey, John McDougall, Inie Platenius, John Steele & Frank York. From Sydenham: Shirley Fox, Doug Gerow, Wray Gillespie, Jim Kelly, Vic Smith (and Mary Ann, of course) & Velma Young.
PHOTO caption:
The Sydenham and District Lions Club participated for the first time this year in doing vision screening at Loughborough Public School. Vision Screening is a service provided by the Lions Clubs for screening the eyesight of Senior Kindergarten and Grade 1 students.
This service is very appropriate since Helen Kellar challenged the Lions many years ago to become the "Knights of the Blind".
Above: Lion Mary Ann Smith, Sydenham and District Lions Club
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Feature Article - April 12, 2007Gerry Fast, Linda Wolsey win outstanding service awards
by Jeff Green
“The Outstanding Service Award is presented to those individuals who consistently provide outstanding service to students at a level significantly beyond what is usually expected from an incumbent in the position,” is how the Limestone District School Board describes the award that was presented to 10 recipients last night.
Two of those recipients are Lynda Wolsey, a long serving secretary at Sydenham High School, and Gerry Fast, the Executive Director of KAIROS, an addictions counselling service that under Gerry’s watch has extended its services into schools throughout Frontenac County.
Lynda Wolsey goes way back at Sydenham High School (SHS). She started at SHS as a student, began working with the school board in 1968, and since 1987 has been working at the high school.
SHS principal Ann Otonicar nominated Lynda for the award, and she told the News earlier this week that Lynda “has really done it all for the students and the staff here.”
In the citation that Otonicar wrote, she described both Lynda Wolsey’s professional role and the extra commitment that she given to SHS for the past 20 years. “Students, parents and staff truly appreciate Lynda, and have come to her for all manner of questions, advice, and support. They have relied on her ‘corporate memory’ to inform staff about family connections so that they did not miss anyone in supporting the school’s students, whether it was a happy event or sad one. She has always been patient and never seemed to tire of the challenges and the busy nature of the job.
“Mrs. Wolsey appreciates the importance of educating the whole individual. In the past she has coached cheerleading and golf, as well as being a key member of the Fashion Show crew. Her endless spirit and support of life at Sydenham has been amazing. Lynda has traditionally organized the school’s holiday staff Kris Kringle. She has even been known as a dance instructor for the ‘boot scootin’ boogey’”.
Lynda Wolsey lives in Sydenham with her husband Alan
Gerry Fast –
In 1975, Gerry Fast began working for Kairos, a community-based rehabilitation program for young people with drug, alcohol, gambling and behaviour problems, which was formed in 1973 in response to needs that were identified in the City of Kingston. Kairos is an independent charitable organisation that is associated with Queens University.
In 1979 Gerry Fast became the director of Kairos, and he will be retiring from that position this year. In his role as director, Gerry has extended Kairos’ services into the schools, particularly in rural Frontenac County.
Throughout the years, he has remained active in counselling. In addition to his administrative role, he has maintained a full roster of clients, and served students through outreach centres at Frontenac Secondary School, Ernestown Secondary School, Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Sydenham High School, LaSalle Secondary School, and Sharbot Lake High School.
The citation for Gerry Fast’s service award makes specific reference to how he has worked to extend services to students in elementary as well as high school: “Over the past decade, Gerry has led several expansions of services. For example, KAIROS now works in Limestone District School Board elementary schools, providing information about drugs, addictions, and about the skills needed to make good social choices. A gambling education program is also now available for both elementary and secondary students… He has acted as an agent of hope for so many of our students.”
Gerry Fast lives in Godfrey with his wife Anne.
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Feature Article - May 31, 2007Sydenham High School student council co-presidents become co-achievers
by JeffGreen (with information provided by the Limestone School Board)
Stephanie
Doornekamp and Zannah Matson were two of seven winners of the Limestone
Student Achievers awards which were presented at the May 23rd
School Board meeting. The awards recognise students who have excelled
in the following categories: the arts; athletics; leadership; and
academic standard.
In addition to serving as student council co-president, a job she prepared for by being involved in the school leadership camp and school council for the previous three years, Stephanie has excelled in athletics and music.
She has played basketball, rugby and volleyball over the years, and helped bring her rugby team to victory in the Ontario championships. She has also played in the school band every year she has been at the school, playing a number of instruments. She also plays music at her church and at Kiwanis festivals as a representative of the school.
In addition to serving as student council co-president this year, Zannah Matson has been busy engaging in politics, the arts, and a number of local initiatives. She has won awards for public speaking, is a member of the Ontario Youth Parliament, was involved in the parliamentary reform exercise in Ontario through the youth wing, and started a newspaper at Sydenham High School, among other ventures.
Her high academic standing has stood her in good stead in planning for her future. Zannah applied for and received several lucrative scholarships, to Queen’s, McGill, and other universities.
Her name was also submitted for a scholarship to the University of Toronto, under the National Scholarship Program, which covers four years’ tuition plus living expenses in Toronto.
Zannah was familiar with the program because her sister, Ainsley Head, a former student at KCVI in Kingston, received the same scholarship five years ago.
The application process includes the submission of a piece of writing. In Zannah’s case she submitted a piece she had written for high school course on the psychological and sociological impacts of torture. When she was short listed for the scholarship she spent five days in Toronto with 29 other applicants. After a one-on-one interview with a U of T academic about her paper, “we talked about all kinds of things,” Zannah recalls, and an interview with a four-member panel on a variety of topics, Zannah was one of 15 people who were chosen for the scholarship.
So, next year she will be living in a suite-style residence at Innis College in the Annex, and will be studying in the international Development department of the university, under the Social Sciences umbrella. Her goal at this point is to take Peace and Conflict studies in her upper years at the university, “but I might find that goal will change if I find something else that interests me in first year.”
In their final year at Sydenham High School, Stephanie Doornekamp and Zannah Matson worked together on many projects on student council and otherwise, including organizing a LIFE night to empower young women.
“It was a great year, a great concluding year for us,” Zannah Matson recalls.
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Feature Article - June 28, 2007Sydenham Lake Canoe Club opens 2007 season
On July 18 the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club took to the waters on Sydenham Lake for the 2007 season, their 10th year of operation since taking overfrom the Cataraqui Canoe Club in 1997. A good turn out for the opening day found many new members join the club, especially those in the Atom class (ages 7-9). As well, the return of a number of Master class paddlers to the club was a welcome addition.
Sydenham Lake Canoe Club is still accepting membership for the 2007 season. Children 7 years of age and up are invited to try out the sport. Young adults and older are also invited to give Sprint Canoe & Kayak a try.
SLCC offers atwo-week course called “Canoe Kids” for those wishing to try the sport out.Kids always have the option to continue on for the season if they like.
Ladies War Canoe crew needed: Sydenham Lake is also looking to put together a ladies War Canoe crew. We need at least 15 paddlers to field a crew, those interested should be 13 years of age or older including adults. The cost for the War Canoe course is only $50 for the entire season. War Canoe training is held on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. Get in shape and keep in shape!
For those interested in membership with the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club, including Ladies War Canoe, are asked to call Erik or Kimberley Miazga at 613-376-3654 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Feature Article - June 28, 2007Sydenham HighSchoolBusiness Plan competition winners
Harrowsmith - The Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation this past week awarded its 2007 Student Business Plan awards at Sydenham High School. The competition kicked off this year with local entrepreneur David Craig from “Mobile Kitchens Canada” speaking to students about his experience of the trials and tribulations of starting a business and getting his product to market.
This was followed by a pizza luncheon where the Frontenac CFDC Business Development Officer Lance Gibson spoke and gave examples of how to write a business plan. There were over 30 submissions in total this year from local students.
The first prize overall, a Toshiba laptop, went to Raymond Tolls for his business plan “Ray’s Guitar Tech”. Ray’s plan involved building on previous skills he learned in a specialized school program where he built a guitar from scratch and he would both build and repair from a shop located on his parent’s farm. Timing of the award was perfect, as Ray was currently in the process of looking to purchase a new computer to take with him to college next year.
Second place went to Scott Lombardi for his plan entitled “Scotties Sweet Tooth”- a mobile novelty food retailer attending summer events & concerts in the Kingston area, and Natasha Babcock for “Personalized Savvy Shoppers” - a service that would do both personal shopping and image consulting for clients in the area. She identified teachers as a key target market for the image-consulting component of her business -watch out Mr. O’Grady & Mr. Curtis! Aaron Bruyns won the GPS unit for the most ‘innovative’ plan entitled “Net-Zero Solutions Ltd” a business he would operate in the future after completing an engineering degree!
This is the third year that the Frontenac CFDC has run this program and would like to thank teachers Mark O’Grady and Roger Curtis from Sydenham High School for all of their assistance and John Inglis from the Frontenac CFDC board for his continued leadership and development on this worthwhile endeavour. A special thanks to David Craig for sharing his personal experiences with the students and answering their questions.
The Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) is a private, non-profit corporation, run by a volunteer board of directors and is funded by Industry Canada. Our mission is to stimulate community and economic development throughout the Frontenacs.
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