Two machines have been slowly, steadily, inexorably dismantling the former Sharbot Lake High School over the past few weeks. The school, which was built in three stages over decades, is being taken apart one attached building at a time.

Its replacement, Granite Ridge comprehensive school, built in a style that could be called 'modern institutional', is just a few feet away.

Although the process was announced in advance, it has still been disheartening to see the building where so many children grew into young adults being torn open and turned into piles of rubble.

Even though the school principal told the school community that removing trees was a regrettable part of a process that will be setting the stage for a new parking lot and playground for Granite Ridge Education Centre, it did come as a shock when the large oak that graced the front lawn in front of the main doors of the school was chopped down last week. It is laid out on the ground in pieces, as if it were nothing more than the rubble gathered in piles beside it.

A number of maples behind the school have come down as well, but this tree was a major feature of Sharbot Lake High School, and judging from its size, it was likely far older than the school that was built around it.

There is, I hope, a good reason why this particular tree had to go, because any replacement tree will not attain anything like the majesty of that oak in the lifetime of even the youngest JK student at GREC.

When the landscaping is being done around the school, we will see whether the Limestone board is bringing some vision to the process that justifies removing this particular tree. Hopefully it has not just been jettisoned in the same way that the contents of the school were tossed into dumpsters when the school was being emptied before being demolished.

Whether the reason is a good one or just a matter of lazy expediency, it is sad to see that tree laying in pieces on the ground.

Feature Article - March 30, 2006

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Feature Article - March 30, 2006

SLHSVariety Show

byJeffGreen

Mitch Barker A group of students approached Gary Giller earlier this year and asked that he help organise a variety show for the general public in addition to the Coffee House that takes place every year. He agreed.

The show that took place last Friday, after a two-week weather delay, was more successful than anyone could have expected. A full house greeted the performers at the SLHS cafetorium. The house band (Jim MacPherson, Gary Giller, Mark Elliot and Joe Shaw on drums opened the night) with a few numbers on their own. They were followed by Lydia Sergeant, performing even though she had a bad cold, who treated the audience to bluesy renditions of “Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright” by Bob Dylan and “Misery” by Pink.

Sergeant is no stranger to the high school stage. She delivered a plaintive, yet stirring rendition of Amazing Grace, a song that is so often overdone by performers, at the School’s Remembrance Day Ceremony in November.

After Lydia Sergeant, Amanda Maracle took the stage. Accompanied by Claudio Valentini on classical guitar, with backup harmonies by Michel Cota, she performed “Imaginary” by Evanescence, and “Another Suitcase, Another Hall”, before finishing with an acapella version of the Judy Garland standard, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” A loud ovation greeted her warm, note perfect renditions.

The house band returned to the stage to back up Sharbot Lake High School ’s Country Gentleman, Mitch Barker. Mitch Barker is a real throwback, his relaxed stage presence, clean singing style, and love of old country tunes from the 50’s and 60’s make him seem like he comes from another era. He finished his set with a gospel number. The audience greeted his performance with a standing ovation as well.

Finallly, just when it looked like SLHS was steeped in the past, the four-piece alternative rock band “The Saved Soul” took the stage, featuring lead vocalist Michael Cota, Leigh Walker, Jason Godfrey, Joey Drapeau, and stand out stand in drummer Joe Shaw, took the stage and rocked out on three original tunes.

After intermission, there was a reprise performance of the dance numbers performed by the school’s four colour houses from the recent winter carnival. Students and teachers took the stage for some energetic “Air Band” numbers.

The SLHS Variety Show is sure to become another regular feature of the busy school year in the future.

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Feature Article - May 3, 2007.class { BORDER-RIGHT: black 1pt solid; BORDER-TOP: #000 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1pt solid } .class1 { BORDER-RIGHT: #9f5128 1pt solid; BORDER-TOP: #9f5128 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: #9f5128 1pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #9f5128 1pt solid } .class2 { FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #666 }

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Feature Article - May 3, 2007

Waterwalker FilmFestival coming to SharbotLake

On Saturday, May 26, Sharbot Lake High School's Outdoor Adventure Program is hosting the 2007 Waterwalker Film Festival as a fundraiser for next year's class. The Waterwalker Film Festival is a tribute to the late Bill Mason, the great conservationist, canoeist, painter, author and filmmaker who inspired so many to enjoy Canada's waterways and wilderness. His passionate and dedicated care to his work resulted in a need to share its beauty with us and to encourage us to promote its protection.

Following Bill Mason's death, Paddle Canada, with the support of the Mason Family, began to organize and administer the Festival. The Waterwalker Film Festival has now become known throughout North America and internationally.

Paddle Canada hopes to sustain Bill Mason's vision by raising support and public awareness for waterway and wilderness preservation through the celebration of these films on canoeing, kayaking, water safety, the environment and the conservation and protection of our natural resources.

Come out for a Saturday night at the movies featuring a selection of short films about canoeing and kayaking suitable for the whole family. Tickets are $10 and are available from SLHS students or by calling the school at 613-279-2131, or at the door. SLHS Auditorium. Doors open at 6 p.m.

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Feature Article - June 19, 2008

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Feature Article - June 19, 2008 SLHS Penny drive for cancerBy Chava Field-Green

Sony Teal, Principal Janet Sanderson, Adam Hibbard

On August 9 and 10 SLHS principal Janet Sanderson will walk 60 km in Edmonton for cancer research. She will walk with her sister, who is in her late 30s and has been fighting breast cancer for the last few years. Ms. Sanderson had wanted to shave her head and donate her hair in the summer of 2006, but she was newly appointed as Vice Principal at Sharbot Lake at the time. Just coming into the school, she wanted to include her new students and decided to try and raise the $2,000 admission fee for the walk at the school.

So, in true SLHS fashion, it became a Colour House challenge penny drive, with Mrs. Sanderson shaving her head at the end. Grade 12 student Adam Hibbard the challenged his own colour house, Green, to raise the most money and he would also shave his head. $750 worth of pennies in four jars later Green House had won. This sparked grade 11 student Sonni Teal’s interest; he also volunteered to donate his hair, and quickly passed around his hat, raising $100, and Adam Hibbard and Sonni Teal joined Janet Sanderson in having their heads shaved.

Overall the students and staff have raised between $1800 and $2000 and friends of the Sanderson family have donated another $1500. More is expected in the weeks that come.

Mrs. Sanderson has been overwhelmed by the community support, and is happy to tell her sister that she is supported by the Sharbot Lake High School community.

Oct 16/08 - SLHS Commencement

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Feature Article - October 9, 2008 SLHS 2008 CommencementBy Jeff Green

SLHS Valedictorian Mehar kaillon and her mother Rimpe were all smiles after the Commencent ceremony.

Recent graduates of Sharbot Lake High School, many of them already esconced in college, university, or jobs in far-flung places, returned home for the traditional fall commencement service at the school last Friday October 10.

Although fall commencements have become rare in Ontario, the strong local ties (and the promise of a home-cooked Thanksgiving turkey dinner) always bring the vast majority of graduates back for the ceremony.

This year was no exception.

After they received their diplomas, a long list of awards, many carrying cash prizes, were handed out to the students.

Many of the awards were established in honour of former students, staff or community members who have died, and by having surviving relatives of those people hand out the awards, a continuing connection between the school and those families is maintained.

As the awards table was getting bare, there was one graduate who began to look nervous.

Valedictorian Mehar Kaillon began preparing herself for her big moment, but she had to wait a little longer than normal. She was introduced by the head of the Science Department, Dave Gervais, who got a little carried away in extolling her virtues, but finally she took a deep breath and headed to the podium.

“Where are you Mehar?” called out the students, when the five-foot tall University of Ottawa student almost disappeared behind the elvated prodium.

Her enthusiasm easily overcoming both her nervousness and the podium, Mehar touched all the bases in her valedictory address, even raising a few tears when she spoke of the bonds that have been forged over the years. She said that whatever happens, members of the graduating class will always be able to depend on each other.

Mehar received a spontaneous standing ovation at the end of her speech.

The Sharbot Lake High School graduates, Class of 2008, are: Rebecca Andrews, Brooke Armstrong, Jamie Ayotte, Jessica Barker, Stacey Barr, Kaitlyn Bertrim, Landon Boles, Madeleine Brown, Tamara Carmichael, Christopher Conboy, Devon Conboy, Sarah Conner, Christopher Cook, Crystal Cox, Savannah Cronk, Joey Drapeau, Mark Duarte, Casey May Ducharme, Bradley Fox, Jason Godfrey, Christina Green, William Hamilton, Nelson Hannah, Jacelyn Hartwick, Derek Hermer, Kimberlee Hertendy, Adam Hibbard, Holly Jackson, Jesse Jarvis, Jennifer Jennings, Jason Johnston, Mehar Kaillon, Dustin Kehoe, Lacy Kelford, Lance Kelford, Alex Kellar, Jeremy Lemke, Tasha Lemke, Jason Lowery, Jonathan Maracle, Raylene Mayhew, Casidhe Mika, Deanna Mitchell, Joseph Nearing, Garth O'Connell, Bradley Quinn, Ashley Ripley, Ronald Spencley, Benjamin Steele, Chantel Teal, Matthew Thubron, Peter Valentini, Stephanie Vinkle, Leigh Walker, Mason Weatherby, George Weiss, Ryan Whan, Ashley White, Alyssa Wilkes, Kori Woodcock.

Oct 9/08 - Student Vote in Sharbot Lake

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Feature Article - October 9, 2008 Student Vote at Sharbot LakeBy Jeff Green

Duncan McGregor, Randy McVety, Shane Steeves, Kelly Weatherby and Paul Tallon.

In 1993, a man named Taylor Gunn decided that something had to be done about the fact that voting participation among first-time voters is very low in Canada.

One of the reasons, it turns out, is fear. Many first-time eligible voters are unfamiliar with how the voting booth and ballot system work.

So, in cooperation with Elections Canada, he established Student Vote Canada.

Elections Canada delivers voting booths and ballots to participating schools, and students organize and run mock elections in advance of the national election date. All results are kept confidential and are submitted to Student Vote Canada. The national results are announced on election night, just as the election results are pouring in.

Randy McVety, the head of the Social Studies Department at Sharbot Lake High School, answered an email about the program in 2004, and Student Vote has taken place at SLHS during all federal and provincial elections since then.

The elections are student-run, with staff providing support.

In order to inform students about the candidates and parties running for election, different strategies have been used at Sharbot Lake. This time around, setting up an all-candidates’ meeting with the real candidates in the riding was proposed, but even though the candidates were game, the timing did not work out for the school.

Instead, the candidates were asked to answer 10 questions about their parties and their own policies, and they submitted their answers to four students, who

“played” them at an all-candidates’ meeting that was modeled on similar meetings that have taken place throughout the riding over the past three weeks. The students also did independent research into the party policies of the candidates they were impersonating.

The four students who took on the roles of the candidates were Duncan MacGregor (Conservative Scott Reid), Kelly Weatherby (Liberal David Remington), Shane Steeves (NDP Sandra Willard), and Paul Tallon (Green Chris Walker).

After the all-candidates’ meetings, which were moderated by Chava Field-Green, the grade 7-12 students at the school had the opportunity to vote during their lunch hour.

The voting turnout was 38%, which Randy Mcvety found somewhat disappointing since the turnout had been 40% the last time around, but he said “perhaps having the vote during lunch hour made a bit of a difference.”

Nonetheless he plans to see SLHS participate in the next election, which he said, “given the latest polling numbers might not be that far off.”

Feature Article - August 21, 2008

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Feature Article - August 21, 2008 Sharbot Lake High School 60th AnniversaryBy Jeff GreenIt takes a bit of imagination to connect the picture of the modest one-storey building that was Sharbot Lake High School when it opened in September of 1948 with the jumble of pieces that make up the high school today.

The five-classroom school, which was built for $90,000 and was intended to accommodate 70 students (128 showed up on opening day), has undergone three major renovations and at least three minor ones since then.

The one element that has given continuity to the Sharbot Lake High School for the past 60 years of change is the people who have attended there, worked there, and who are still involved in one way or another with the school and the community it serves.

Those people will be celebrated when the SLHS community gathers on Saturday August 30 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the school.

Back in the 1940s, some of the people who were instrumental in getting the school built were Nina Simonett, H.J. Thompson, and Dr. C.H. Whytock.

Others, such as Don St. Pierre, became synonymous with the school over its first 50 years. Don was a grade 11 student when the school opened. After graduating he went on to teach at Sharbot Lake until his retirement in 1988.

At the 40th anniversary celebration in 1988, as he was prepared to retire, Don wrote in his own imitable style about that fateful day, September 6, 1948.

“The first ten minutes of that morning I shall remember the rest of my life. I was standing beside Tom Seargent, and on my right side a girl who had a relative working for, or who owned ELIZABETH ARDEN cosmetics. She was a walking bottle of ether. Little did she or Tom know that I had allergies galore, and when I started to sneeze and break out into a rash, Tom knew some god-awful thing was happening. I gasped to breathe, and Tom, who was three times bigger than my self, hauled me half out those windows. I had made and found a true friend.”

From the beginning, the facilities at the high school were limited, and as the educational expectations for a high school expanded during the second half of the 20th century, the inadequacies of SLHS become more and more apparent. Under the fist school principal, Clinton Babcock (1948-53), two expansions took place. Two classrooms and a wood shop were added in 1950, and in 1953 a new wing was added, creating three new classrooms, a gym (now the cafetorium) and a principal’s office.

In the early 1960s, under Marcel Giroux and Frank Dodich, a $546,000, 11-room addition was built. It was completed in 1965 and also included a library, three technology workshops and the current gymnasium.

Since then the school has seen only one major change, the addition of the current library/resource centre, the northern enrance and an elevator, which were built in 1995.

Two years ago, SLHS was designated by the Limestone District School Board as “prohibitive to repair”, which means it would cost so much to bring the current building up to modern standards that it would be preferable to build an entirely new facility.

A review will be undertaken this fall of the so-called “northern” schools in the board, which could shape the future not only of Sharbot Lake High School but of its four feeder schools as well.

As the 60th anniversary of SLHS approached, a group of current and retired staff members, as well as a number of former students who still live in the area, decided to get together for a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the day Don St. Pierre almost suffocated because of an overly perfumed girl. Hopefully, Don himself will come from his home in Perth to share in the festivities.

On Saturday August 30, former staff and students will fill the rooms and halls with great memories of the past 60 years. The day will start off at 11:00 a.m. with a barbeque hosted by the Masons. All are welcome to attend. School tours and decade room will be open until 5:00 p.m. Opening ceremonies and cake cutting will take place at 2:00 p.m.

At 7:00 p.m. the halls will rock again with an open mic coffee house. Former staff and students will be performing. Some entertainers who will be performing are: Jim Kirkham, Murray White, Neville Wells, Jim MacPherson, Gary Giller, Marc Giroux, Jeff Dowdall, Mitch Barker, Terry Reynolds, Diane Whan, and many more, all backed by a great house band of Joe Shaw, Mark Elliott and Gary Parks. If you have any questions or wish more information please contact Dianne Lake @ 613-279-2991

Three days later, on Tuesday September 2, the doors will open to welcome all the students and staff to another school year. Some of these students will be the third generation to attend Sharbot Lake High School.

Sept 4, 2008 - SLHS 60th Anniversary

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Feature Article - September 4, 2008 60th Anniversary bash an overwhelming successBy Jeff Green

Betty Stewart, who taught the first 2 years the Sharbot Lake High School was open, cuts the cake during opening ceremonies.

Organisers of the party to commemoratre the 60th anniversary of Sharbot Lake High School decided to keep the celebration on a relatively low key level.

They thought they would gather some materials, get the word out informally, and hold a bit of a gathering.

Dianne Lake, the key organiser for the event, which took place on August 30, found that she may have underestimated the ties that bind people to their old school. “It was an overwhelming success,” she said “and met my utmost expectations. In fact, it supassed my expectations.”

Four hundred people showed up for the daytime activities, which included displays arranged by decade in different classrooms, a barbeque, and events in the school cafeteria.

The classroom that was devoted to the 40s, 50s, and 60s, which contained a wealth of material that had been gathered by Anne Walsh, was filled with people throughout the afternoon, as the bulk of the visitors attended the school in those eras.

One of the highlights of the day was the cutting of the cake at 2 pm.

Short speeches by current principal Janet Sanderson, event organiser (and cafeteria supervisor) Dianne Lake, Jim MacPherson, Ann Goodfellow (chair of the Limestone District School Board – and wife and mother of SLHS alumni), preceded the cutting of the ceremonial cake.

The honours were done by Betty Stewart, who was one of the teachers at Sharbot Lake High School on the day it opened in 1948. There were 18 students from that first day in attendance as well, and they all had a great time reminiscing about their school days.

One of the attendees, former School Council President Karl Hansen, said “I saw people today that I haven't seen...since I left high school”.

In the evening, retired teachers Gary Giller and Jim MacPherson hosted a special coffee house in the tradition of the coffee houses that Giller hosted while teaching at Sharbot Lake, but with a lineup that included many former students. Perfomers included: former student Terry Reynolds, accompanied by his daughter Natalie on keyboard, and by his son Lukas on guitar; Mitch Barker; Marc Giroux, and Sean McCullough and Diane Whan.

Almost 200 people attended the coffee house.

For Dianne Lake, the most gratifying aspect of the day was the response of some of the people who attended the school in its ealiest years. “Some of them were truly touched by the event,” she said.

Back to HomeFeature Article - December 10, 2009 Sharbot Lake High School coffee house and fashion showBy Jeff Green

A student coffee house was held at Sharbot Lake High School last month just for the students and their close friends, and over 20 musicians came forward to perform. This gave SLHS teacher Dave Gervais an idea; why not invite the public to hear what the students, and staff, can do.

So, on Wednesday, December 16, from 7 - 9:30 pm, the public is invited to listen to some students perform, as well as some parents, staff and former staff. Admission to the coffee house is $2 (all proceeds are going to the Italy trip in 2011) and in addition to the music, the students in the Anything Fabric Class will be modelling some of the clothes they have been making during the class this year.

Anything Fabric has been a SLHS special course for a few years now, and the numbers of students taking the course has increased dramatically this year. As a result the variety and quality of the work in the fashion show will be as impressive as the musical talent on display. The clothes will be for sale during the show and for a short time afterwards.

The Coffee House and Fashion show will be a display of the creativity that lives in the SLHS community.

For further information, contact Geoff Murray, David Gervais, or Meagan Dodson at the school – 613-279-2131

A preliminary meeting will be held on Tuesday Night, November 24th, at 6:30 to talk about a planned educational tour of sunny Italy in March of 2011.

Claudio Gerebizza, who is an educational travel ambassador with Education First Tours will be on hand to talk about the itinerary of the five city, ten day trip to Rome, Florence, Venice, Assisi and Piza.

Among the tours’ highlights will be St. Peters Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, the Ufizi Gallery, the Roman Coliseum and more.

The tour is being organised on the Sharbot Lake end by teachers Erica Kresen and Randy McVety, who have already been working out some of the logistics of the trip and planning fundraising events to defray some of the costs.

Students from the entire school, grade 7 to 12, are eligible for the trip, and adults are welcome to join as well.

In order for the trip to go ahead, about ten students from Sharbot Lake must attend, but students from other schools, and their parents, are eligible to go as well.

For Erica Kresen the fact that trip will includes students from grades 7-12 will be a great opportunity for students that don’t always interact at the school to experience something together and bring that camaraderie back to the school.

The trip represents her first opportunity to levve the continent and travel with her 12 year old daughter, who is a student in Sydenham.

“We’re already starting to save up,” she said.

Randy Mcvety was part of a school rip to Costa Rica a few years’ ago, and he found it to be an excellent experience for he students.

“The company that runs the trips keeps the students busy from morning until night. The days are packed with visits and learning opportunities. I can’t say enough about Education First.

Matt Green, now a grade 12 student, is the only student still at SLHS that participated in the Costs Rica trip.

He still lights up at the mention of it.

“It’s hard to remember all the things we did” he said, “because there was so much, but seeing a real volcano was certainly a highlight. All ina ll it was the experience of a lifetime.”

The Italian trip will feature more human history than natural history, and the artwork and architecture that the students will see is unrivalled anywhere else in the world.

Education First is offering some incentives for people to enrol in the trip by the end of November, and there are payment plans available as well.

At the meeting on November 24th, Caludio Grebizza will have all the details.

For further information about the Italy trip, contact Erica Kresen or Randy Mcvety at Sharbot Lake High School, 613-279-2131