The mural is available for viewing during business hours at the Child Centre.

A trio of local artists have worked with students from St. James Major Catholic School, and Sharbot Lake, Hinchinbrooke and Land O'Lakes public schools to complete “The Living Mural Project”, which was installed last week in the board room at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake.

Potter Joanne Pickett and printmaker Martina Field ran an art school for area children, called the Northern School of Fine Arts, at the Child Centre for several years, and when they stopped running the school they wanted to put together a project that would have a permanent impact on the local community.

“Joanne and I helped out with a mural project at Sharbot Lake Public School one time, and we thought it would be a good idea to work with children to build a mural that was all about the local geography and history,” Martina Field said about the beginning of the project.

With some funding from the Northern School of Fine Arts and a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Kingston, there was enough money available to kick-start the project.

Field and Pickett brought another artist, Carol Pepper, into the fold and the three of them began to go into the schools to talk to the local children about the history of the area in order to motivate the children to put that history into a visual form. They enlisted Danka Brewer from the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation to talk to the students who were working on the panel depicting the Aboriginal heritage of the region, and Shirley Peruniak of the Oso Historical Society talked about life after the arrival of European settlers. The largest panel, which ended up being the centrepiece, was devoted to the landscape itself, in late winter, with no reference to human activity.

The clay tiles that serve as the mural's border were created in a two or three-hour session in each of six class visits. 

“To decorate the tiles I gave the students sheets of paper and paper and had them do a large drawing based on one of the three topics we were working with. We then took chunks of the drawings and the students traced them onto soft clay tiles that I had prepared for them. Students then cut out the bas-relief images using the thin clay slabs,” said Joanne Pickett.

The tiles were then fired at Joanne’s studio in Arden and coated with red iron oxide.

The painted collages required more time in the classroom as students first painted a background onto the plywood panel and then cut the objects (buildings, trees, animals, etc.) out of cardboard and "gessoed" them to add thickness. After the gesso dried the pieces were glued on to the background and painted.

A few days before the mural was installed, children from the homework club at the Child Centre were enlisted to finish off the work on the centre panel.

It was only then that the panels and the tiles were assembled and the three artists who had overseen the project could see how the muted tones and texture of the tiles worked with the brighter colours of the panels.

“It really exceeded my expectations,” said Joanne Pickett.  

When the project was completed photos and a letter was sent to each of the schools that participated, and an article about it found its way onto the Limestone School Board website courtesy of Sharbot Lake Public School Principal David Allison.

The project was a collaborative effort that included the Child Centre, the local schools, and the three artists.

The funding support from the Community Foundation of Greater Kingston covered a portion of the costs of the project, but there was a shortfall, and in the coming weeks the artists will be conducting a fundraising campaign to try to cover it.

The mural is available for viewing during business hours at the Child Centre. For information call 613-279-2244. 

King Max Bumstead and Queen Brianna TryonT

On Tuesday March 9, Mr. Rewbotham's Grade 4/5 class spent their morning preparing for a medieval feast. They held their feast that afternoon with help from the Elementary French teacher, Mme. Bumstead, and six parent volunteers cooking and serving food, as well as doing dishes. The meal includes two different kinds of "ale" along with turkey, potatoes, carrots, turnips, stuffing, homemade bread, and gravy. Many of the students dressed in costumes to fit their position in the feast. Max Bumstead and Brianna Tryon took on the parts of King and Queen, where in which they were dressed in royalty costumes and waited on by others at the feast.  

 "All together the medieval feast was a fantastic learning experience, it was very authentic." said Mr. Rewbotham.

The Sharbot Lake Alzheimer office celebrates its first anniversary in April 2009. It has been an exciting and challenging year helping to support over 100 clients and caregivers in our area. We have shared many emotions together on their journey with Alzheimer disease or a Related Dementia. It is a privilege to promote awareness, offer education and provide counselling to clients and caregivers in our own community about a disease that affects one in 11 persons over the age of 65 years. With the population aging, the number of those affected increases along for the demand and need for services.

Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative disease that destroys vital brain cells. Alzheimer Disease eventually affects all aspects of a person’s life - how they think, feel and act. Since individuals are affected differently, it is difficult to predict the symptoms each person will have and the order in which they will appear or the speed of the disease's progression.

I would like to share the success of the new office with the community and our Fund Development Committee as we have raised $6000 for the Alzheimer Society of KFL&A, Sharbot Lake office. The support has come from hosting our own Alzheimer Society Calendar Events: the Door to Door Campaign in June; Alzheimer Coffee Breaks in September/October; January was Alzheimer Awareness Month, which featured an Awareness and Fund Raising Evening; a Special Caregivers’ afternoon; and the Walk for Memories.

The Alzheimer Society advocates and supports people living with and affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. We offer caregiver counselling, monthly caregiver support groups, Public Education to the community as well as health care professionals, Promote Awareness, make referrals to community support services and the Safely Home Program.

Please contact your Public Education Coordinator of the Alzheimer Society KFL&A, Sharbot Lake at The Seniors Centre, 1042 Elizabeth Street, Sharbot Lake, K0H 2P0. 613 279-WELL (9355).

Office hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9AM - 4:30PM. Candace Bertrim, PEC, Alzheimer Society KFL&A, Sharbot Lake <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>.

Julie and Joel Hunt and his artwork he calls “The Present”

Well into its third season of offering programming to adults in South Frontenac with developmental disabilities, the New Leaf Link or (NeLL) is right on track with its mandate of “supporting the continuing education and meaningful occupation of youth and adults with developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum conditions, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, acquired brain injuries and other neurological disabilities.”

The non-profit, charitable organization was begun through the efforts of Dr. Karin Steiner and Howard Smith of Verona, who as the parents of Nicholas, their 23-year-old autistic son, are well aware of the gap in community services available to adults in South Frontenac after they graduate from local school-to-community programs.

According to Steiner, NeLL’s executive director, “Our main focus is on delivering programming to our sons and daughters who would otherwise sit at home with nothing to do and nowhere to go.”

Thanks to generous donations, especially from the Oddfellows and Rebekkahs of Harrowsmith, NeLL is now in its third season of offering regular programming two days a week to participating adults in South Frontenac and the surrounding area. All this has been accomplished so far without any government grants. NeLL currently offers seasonal Equestrian, Art Education and Food for all Seasons programs, the latter two of which are currently running in Sydenham at St. Paul’s Anglican church. The Food program enables participants to develop an awareness of the links between nutrition, exercise and health and to learn a variety of skills aimed at increasing their employability and independence. The art program connects participants with local artist/mentors from the community and participants work in ceramics, abstract art, printmaking and computing, developing their artistic expression and employable skills, and are given the opportunity to develop their work into saleable products.

Steiner is quick to point out that all of the NeLL programs offered can accommodate adults who function at various levels.

Currently four adults are enrolled in NeLL, which at this time has a capacity for 10 adults.

Joel Hunt of Sydenham has been participating in the program since its inception. His mother Julie Hunt said, “Prior to joining NeLL we looked into some programs in Kingston but going into the city can be quite stressful. I strongly believe that these rural adults have a right to stay in their own community and be productive here, where they are comfortable, safe and where they are known.”

Joel, who is 22 years old and who has an acquired brain injury, graduated from the school-to-community program at Sydenham High School in 2008. He participated in NeLL's Equestrian and Arts Education program where he was able to care for and ride horses for the first time in his life. Julie explained that for Joel, “It was the first time that he was given the opportunity to take care of something rather than being taken care of himself.”

Joel showed me the art work he has created in the current NeLL arts program, work that is impressive and of which he feels proud.

Both Joel and his mom are thrilled with the program. Julie Hunt explained, “With the New Leak Link program Joel is one of the lucky ones; his life is full and he really looks forward to it. Joel is a very social person and the program has allowed him to develop relationships with friends and others outside of our home, and has ensured a bright future for him in the community.”

Steiner is hoping to further expand and develop the NeLL program this year.

“Our goal this year is to raise additional funds so that we can offer a third day per week of programming for an Entrepreneurial Arts Program that will begin in September this year.” she said.

For years, in South Frontenac and other communities, after completing high school, adults with disabilities and their families have been left to cope on their own.

New Leaf Link is aiming to make those days something of the past in South Frontenac. In Steiner’s words, “Our world view is that everyone has abilities; everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to give back.”

For more information about the New Leaf Link program or to make a tax-deductible donation contact Dr. Karin Steiner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-374-3451.

NAEC Elementary Girls’ Basketball Team

On Friday, March 5, the elementary girls’ basketball team traveled to Napanee District Secondary School to compete in a basketball tournament. The Vikings dominated in their first two games against Enterprise and Selby and also in the semi-finals against Sharbot Lake. However they had a close victory against Selby in the finals.

The final score was 17 to 16 for N.A.E.C. The team showed awesome teamwork and sportsmanship. Even though the games were back to back the girls pushed through and got the results that they were hoping for. After the final game the girls received gold medals, which meant that the Vikings were the Limestone District School Board basketball champions!

The players that went to NDSS were Deanna Allen, Taylor Salmond, Emma Benn, Danielle Drysdale, Kendra Wilson, Chantal Smith, Abby Tryon, Cayley Wilson, Brittany Wood, Kassandra James, their amazing coach Madame Bumstead, and Mr. Rewbotham, who was not able to attend the event, but still showed great support for the team.

Teacher Mike Mol, students Matt Edmonds, Shane Caird, Mike Guindon, Mike Barr

Sydenham High School students in Mike Mol’s technology class received a small grant from the Limestone Learning Foundation last year for materials.

The students, Mat Edmonds, Shane Caird, Mike Guindon and Mike Barr designed and built a nifty bi-directional log splitter that will be featured at the Limestone Learning Foundation’s annual fundraising golf tournament next month.

There were plans to raffle off the splitter with proceeds to go to the Learning Foundation, but those plans have not been finalised.

In other news from SHS, Kole Hoover, an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program student who takes a program in masonry that is jointly administered with St. Lawrence College, has received a silver medal at the provincial skills competition that was held in Waterloo last week.

Adele Colby attended the march during the historic African Grandmother’s Gathering in Swaziland earlier this month. Courtesy Adele Colby.

For Adele Colby of Tichborne it was a dream come true. As chair of Grandmothers-by-the-Lake, the local chapter of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF), she was one of 43 Canadian grandmothers chosen to attend the first ever "Grandmothers’ Gathering" in Swaziland. She spent five days in Johannesburg and a week in Swaziland where she met with 500 African grandmothers, just some of the many on that continent who with very little support are single handedly struggling to care for the countless numbers of children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic there

The trip gave Adele a first-hand look at the struggles these grandmothers and their young charges are facing and left her with a passionate determination to increase awareness and fundraising for their ongoing support.

Organized by Swaziland Positive Living (SWAPOL) and supported by the SLF, the event was led by the African grandmothers themselves and it provided a forum from which to share their experiences and formulate a concrete plan of action for the future.

The aim of the Canadian grandmothers who attended the gathering was to go as observers and see what progress has been made since 2006, after close to $7 million had been raised across Canada by the over 220 grandmothers’ groups.

Adele departed from Toronto on April 28 and her first stop was Johannesburg where her group toured the SLF-supported Cotlands Hospice. On the tour Adele met and spoke with 13 African grandmothers, all of whom had lost their own children to AIDS and were caring for a number of young children, some their own grandchildren as well as other orphans. Adele recalled the visit: “It was incredibly emotional to speak to these women who have lost so much and also to try to understand the depth of the damage done to these young children health-wise and otherwise. Some of the children have absolutely no social connections and while the drugs that they are now receiving have greatly increased their survival rates, other social programs are necessary to help their ongoing and continued development."

One of the SLF-sponsored programs that provides support at the hospice is a six- week orientation program for grandmothers that teaches them nutrition and hygiene, drug administration, childhood development and craft making so that they can better care for these children and prepare them for future independence.

Adele continued, ”These grandmothers showed incredible strength and never whined or complained though many of them are caring for anywhere from 5 to 15 children with very little support. They recognize that education for the children is the mainstay of what they do and stressed that if the children are educated many problems can be overcome."

Adele stressed that the funds raised by the grandmother’s campaign go directly to African grandmothers and while much progress has been made, “What we found out was that they still need money for very basic things like food, clothing, shelter, craft materials and education.”

By the end of the gathering a document called the "Manzini Statement" was drafted underlining the African grandmothers’ immediate needs for the future. Items included an increase in the African grandmothers pension which now stands at $50 USD per month; better access to education and housing and to resources to build their own capacity to raise healthy families, more training in home-based care, HIV/AIDS education, and further education in the care of orphaned children and adolescents.

Now armed with first-hand experience of the situation Adele Colby is even more determined to get the word out. She is offering to speak to local groups big or small about the Grandmothers Campaign and also hopes to double the group’s fundraising efforts this season. Adele can be contacted at 613 375-8845. For more information visit www.grandmotherscampaign.org

Grandmothers by the Lake will be holding a plant sale at the Tiffany Gift Shoppe in Harrowsmith on Sat. June 5 and will be at the Verona Cattail Festival in August as well.

Teacher Mike Mol, students Matt Edmonds, Shane Caird, Mike Guindon, Mike Barr

Sydenham High School students in Mike Mol’s technology class received a small grant from the Limestone Learning Foundation last year for materials.

The students, Mat Edmonds, Shane Caird, Mike Guindon and Mike Barr designed and built a nifty bi-directional log splitter that will be featured at the Limestone Learning Foundation’s annual fundraising golf tournament next month.

There were plans to raffle off the splitter with proceeds to go to the Learning Foundation, but those plans have not been finalised.

In other news from SHS, Kole Hoover, an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program student who takes a program in masonry that is jointly administered with St. Lawrence College, has received a silver medal at the provincial skills competition that was held in Waterloo last week.

Megan Cruickshank with the two artworks selected by the Hotel Dieu students’ art gallery.

North Addington Education Centre student Megan Cruickshank has two pieces of art in the Hotel Dieu Students’ Art Gallery in Kingston. Megan and her family attended the opening ceremony at Hotel Dieu Hospital on Monday, May 10. The opening ceremony consisted of a slide show of all the artworks, followed by a viewing of the artworks on display in the gallery.

Megan is in Grade 9 at NAEC. While she is a gifted art student, the two pieces which were selected were completed in Megan’s spare time. This year, there were over 2,500 submissions, and 100 pieces were chosen, so it is particularly impressive that Megan had two pieces in the gallery.

Mr. R. Westgarth, a teacher at Elginburg Public School, organized the exhibition, along with several volunteers. The gallery has about 75,000 visitors per year. Mr. Westgarth joked that the visitors tend to be a “captive audience” who are at the hospital for medical reasons, but it is still an extensive number of visitors for any gallery.

Submissions came from Limestone District School Board, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board, and Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic School Board.

North Addington students investigate Canada’s art and the Cold War by Valerie Allan

Joanne Butler and Robert Maciag walk through the Diefenbunker on NAEC's school trip

A busload of NAEC students set off for the nation’s capital on Tuesday, May 11 to learn about Canada’s art and Canada’s Cold War experience. The Grade 9 art class, the Grade 8 class, and the School to Community class attended the trip with their teachers.

The first stop for the students was the National Gallery of Canada, where they learned about Canadian artists. The Grade 8 class focused on Contemporary Canadian art. The Grade 9 art class concentrated on Canadian artists from the first settlers up until WWII. Students made sketches of some of the works in the gallery. The School to Community class toured the Canadian Collection and the Aboriginal section.

After an enjoyable couple of hours, the students boarded their bus and headed off to the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum. A guide led the students on an hour-and-a-half journey through the Deifenbunker, far below the ground. They saw the living, recreation, and working conditions of the bunker inhabitants. The Diefenbunker was designed to house the government in the event of a nuclear attack by the USSR on the United States.

School trips are a fun way for students to learn more about the world. Two more trips are planned in May and June, one to the Science Museum and Museum of Nature in Ottawa, and another to the Cataraqui Conservation Authority in Kingston.

Pat Chase, Laurie Handforth, Tanya Collett, Terra Collett-Stewart and Brenda Hunter outside the new library at HPS

Students, staff, community members and school and township dignitaries, along with members of the Handforth and Collett families, gathered on May 6 at Harrowsmith Public school for the official dedication and opening of the Audrey Handforth and Jewel Collett Memorial Library.

The library was named for two women, both now deceased, who worked at the school library and dedicated their time and energy on a daily basis to enhancing and cultivating student literacy and the love of reading at the school.

The ceremony began in the gym where a number of speakers, LDSB Trustee Barb McLaren, Director of education Brenda Hunter, Mayor Gary Davison, President of CUPE 1480 Donna Jackson, HPS council chair Murray Aitken and Pat Chase, chair of the HPS library committee, spoke fondly of the two women who inspired the project.

Principal Jim Horan opened the ceremony and spoke of the two women whose “legacies are now infused into this community for many generations to come.”

After the official ribbon cutting outside the library, guests gathered inside where members of both families were inundated with hugs and kisses and reminisced with guests about the women who inspired the project that will serve the school and community for years to come.