Photo: IT technician Darren Asselstine

Many may not know him but they should. Darren Asselstine works hard to keep students and staff at area schools connected - to their school computers, that is. Darren works full-time as an Information Technology Services technician for the Limestone District School Board and spreads out his working hours between Land O'Lakes PS in Mountain Grove, Clarendon Central PS in Plevna, Arden Court in Arden, and NAEC in Cloyne.

Darren graduated from a two-year program in Computer Networking and Technical Support at St. Lawrence College in 2001 and was hired by the LDSB in February 2009.

His job entails maintaining and updating all the computers and technology devices at those sites as well as ensuring that everything on each of their networks is working properly. “I also assist teachers who want to connect their laptops to the school networks so that they can do the work they have to do on their own computers.”

Darren looks after close to 250 computers and by far the largest network he maintains are the 100 computers at NAEC.

Darren makes regular routine visits to the area schools, which he finds is the best way to a manage things. “That way if students or staff at a certain school are having specific issues- they know where to reach me and can contact me in advance.”

In the not so distant future at Land O’ Lakes Public School, Darren will be configuring five brand new Netbooks that will function as mobile mini labs for students. Darren also configures smartboards, an interactive type of chalkboard for different area schools.

Every job has its challenges and Darren says that keeping up with the problems that need attention can be difficult. To make things easier each school has one staff member who is in charge of reporting and placing orders for work that needs doing at each site. “That way I can keep track of what needs doing where and when, which can save me a lot of time.”

Each school has its own individual labs and each lab has at least 30 systems in it. “I have one lab at a site which tends to have a little bit more intensive work going on and there is always something there that needs tending to.”

Asked about available jobs in his field Darren said, “There are not a lot of permanent positions out there right now, which is really just a result of the nature of the market. People are usually hired for a fixed period of time and there's not a lot of turnover.” He's grateful to have a full-time job with benefits and says that the only drawback is traveling from Kingston in the winter months - he is thankful to his parents who gave him a brand new set of winter tires, which he says “help him to get his job done.”

There was much community interest early last summer when the Limestone District School Board’s Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) process for the Sharbot Lake Family of Schools completed its work and the Board of Trustees announced that a new K-12 school would be built in Sharbot Lake by the fall of 2013.

Ever since then there has been silence from the board, publicly at least.

Behind the scenes, however, planning has proceeded, and this week Ann Goodfellow, the trustee for the northern schools, let is be known that an architect has been chosen for the project.

“Within the next month or so a design team will be appointed. The team will include the principals from Hinchinbrooke and Sharbot Lake Public Schools and Sharbot Lake High School, as well as parent reps from those schools, the architect, Roger Richard from the board office and other board staff as needed,” said Ann Goodfellow.

Goodfellow will chair the meetings, which will take place about twice a month until a preliminary design is completed. The representatives from the schools will bring comments and suggestions from their school communities to the meetings, and once the preliminary design is complete later this spring or summer, at least two public meetings will be held before the architect starts working on the final design.

“We are going to be open to all sorts of suggestions, but in the end we can only build what we have funding to build,” Goodfellow said.

The final design will undergo a detailed costing review before it is sent to the Ministry of Education for final approval, a process that will take a considerable amount of time.

The new Sharbot Lake comprehensive school will replace Sharbot Lake High and Intermediate schools, Sharbot Lake Public School, and Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham.

Land O’Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove and Clarendon Central School in Plevna will remain open.

The new school is slated to be built on or around the current parking lot at Sharbot Lake High School, and the existing school will be demolished.

Photo: Kait Rainey-Strathy with the students at LOLPS

Students in grades one through three at Land O' Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove had a chance to tell their own version of the classic children's story “Where the Wild Thing Are” when five professional artists who are studying at Queens University in the Artist in Community Education program visited their school on January 25.

The five artists included Canadian children's author and former Mountain Grove resident Kait Rainey-Strathy, vocalist Patty Smith, actor/dancer Kristina Murphy, musician Graeme Thompson, and musician/writer Trevor Strong. The five artists treated the students to an interactive creative arts workshop exploring literature through movement and music. The workshop gave students an opportunity to translate Maurice Sendak's classic tale into a performance of their very own making.

The workshop began in the gym with Kait Rainey-Strathy reading the story to the students. Kait is a former LOLPS volunteer and substitute teacher and she was thrilled to revisit her old stomping grounds and work with the students. “The workshop we developed allows the children to take the literature and reinterpret it their own creative way, and allows for the integration of the arts throughout the school curriculum.”

Following the story telling each artist then led the group in a series of dance/movement, music, vocal and drama warm up exercises prior to splitting them up into five separate groups.

Each group was then assigned a specific section of the story, which they were free to interpret in an original way, through drama, music, movement and dance. After a run through, the five groups then put their individual performances together and presented them to their fellow students.

The students had a ball throughout the workshop and made their feelings known when, following their practice run, they all spontaneously erupted into a celebratory cacophony. The visiting artists were also invigorated and happy for the chance for a practical teaching and learning experience with a group of very enthusiastic students.

Teachers Joanne McCullough and Norm Guntensperger, whose classes took part in the workshop, were also grateful. “This is a chance for the students to be exposed to five new artists and to a new kind of approach to literature and story telling,” McCullough said.

Norm Guntensperger agreed and added, “It's always interesting for the kids to get a fresh look at different approaches that sometimes can offer a deeper appreciation of literature. As well, we feel very lucky that these artists chose our school to come to.”

The five artists are looking forward to graduating from the Artist in Community Education program this May.

One day, several years ago, I was attending an event at Sharbot Lake High School.

“McVety,” I heard a girl yell out in the hallway at the top of her voice, sounding for all the world as if she was calling out to a reluctant friend to come over and help her with something.

But she wasn’t calling to a friend, she was calling out to a teacher. Sure enough Randy McVety came bounding over, not at all concerned about the lack of formality, some might say decorum, of one of his students.

All of the students at SLHS are Randy McVety’s students, whether they take a Social Studies course with him or not. The citation that came with the announcement this week that he is being honoured with the J.C. McLeod Excellence in Teaching Award, which is also known in the Limestone Board as the teacher of the year award, includes a paragraph about his central role at SLHS: “Randy is committed to the whole school community, enthusiastically participating in all school events, and often serving as organizer. He is always someone you could count on to do whatever it took to make things happen at the school and within the community. Randy McVety is the heart and soul of Sharbot Lake High School, so much so that he has been named ‘Mr. Sharbot Lake’.”

He is also being honoured for his knowledge of social studies and for the courses he has developed at SLHS.

Again, from the citation: “He is an expert in his field of teaching history, geography, native studies and senior social sciences. As the department head he shares his knowledge, expertise and resources with colleagues and works to support teachers in their own professional and personal growth … He is a long time mentor with Queen's University, helping future teachers develop. He has served with his federation for many years, and various school communities.”

The McLeod awards committee must know something about dealing with sibling rivalry, because they made sure there will be no resentment when members of the McVety family get together over the summer holidays.

While Randy McVety won the McLeod for secondary school teachers, his sister Kathy McVety-Kavanagh is the winner of the award for elementary students. She has been working as a special education co-ordinator with the board and is returning to classroom teaching next fall.

Photo: Sam McKay, Siobhan Weatherby, Beth Lyons, Nicola Edward and Chris Henderson

Having a buddy in high school can often make for cherished life-long memories and it is for that reason that Chris Henderson, an educational assistant at Sydenham High school, introduced the “Best Buddies” program there three years ago.

Best Buddies is a national charitable organization dedicated to “enhancing our communities through developing one to one friendships between individuals with intellectual disabilities and other students in the schools. "The program is grounded in the belief that friendships are important in the development of all individuals and are a medium through which they can become part of the community,” Chris Henderson said.

She says that the program has been slowly evolving over the last three years and encourages School to Community students “to develop friendships outside of theír regular classrooms and enables them to better integrate into the regular stream of the school. It‘s all about positive integration and friendship is one of the best ways to allow for that integration to occur.”

Sydenham was the first school in the Limestone district School Board to adopt the program and Henderson recalled “being hooked” three years ago when a Best Buddies supervisor gave a presentation at the school.

What makes a good buddy? “Dependability by far is the most important thing, along with a willingness to take the necessary time“, Chris said. Buddies are required to make contact with the student they are paired with at least once a week and the goal is to develop a socially appropriate and mutually enriching relationship. Many of the Buddies are also peer tutors in the School to Community classrooms. Because of the tutor relationship, Buddies spend ample time together doing school work but they also share lunches, celebrate festive dinners at Easter and Christmas at the school and participate in other school activities. Grade 12 student Paul Allison and School to Community student Tyler MacComish are buddies this year. Tyler enjoys the program and says the time he gets to spend with Paul is "really great." Tyler is also the advocate for the program and will be traveling to Ottawa in September to be part of the Best Buddies annual conference.

For Paul the program is equally as rewarding. "I enjoy the fact that I'm able to give opportunities to another student in the school and it’s rewarding to feel that you are making a difference the life of that student." One of the things that might stop other students from getting involved is a feeling that with academics and other extra-curricular activities, they do not have the time to participate in the program. However, Paul stresses that "Any time that you can give is well worth it and will make a difference."

Another challenging aspect of the program is the funding, which comes solely from school fundraising efforts. Henderson and her team raised some money at the school’s annual fashion show, where cupcakes baked by the buddies were sold during intermission. She says, “The bottom line is that it’s expensive to do any social activities outside the school especially because of transportation costs. We do our best to try to raise the funds to allow the students to get out and enjoy certain social activities together. Ideally we‘d love to have regular outings at least once a month, but funding limits that.”

Last year the students traveled to Toronto to see a Blue Jays game and this year funds are being raised to attend a Toronto production of the Lion King. Planned fundraisers for the rest of this school year will include regular weekly barbeques once the weather warms up. Volunteers will also be selling tickets for a school-wide raffle that will take place on May 16 and which offers a number of prizes including two tickets, hotel accommodations and Via rail transportation to a Tragically Hip show in Toronto; a golf package at the Rivendell Golf Course in Verona; Cineplex movie tickets; and a $100 gift certificate to the Keg.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Best Buddies program or in making a donation can contact Chris Henderson at the school at 613-376-3612.

North Addington Education Centre took a stand against bullying on April 13, by declaring it a Day of Pink. Students and staff in the school sported pink shirts, ties, hats and scarves, amongst other items of clothing.

Day of Pink is an international Day against Bullying, Harassment and Homophobia in schools. It was started by two Grade 12 students in a Nova Scotia school after a Grade 9 student was harassed for wearing a pink shirt. The two students went and bought 50 shirts and distributed them to students as a protest against the incident.

Elementary and Secondary staff promoted the event, and Student Council President J.R. Lee designated the 13th as Day of Pink in the Spirit Week schedule. School Houses were awarded points on the basis of the number of students wearing pink.

Principal Angela Salmond was particularly pleased with the turn-out, as she was hosting the secondary principals’ meeting at the school. Other principals were impressed by NAEC’s participation. “It was wonderful to see the whole school participating in this event. I was proud of our students for showing that they are against harassment of any kind. I am hoping for an even bigger number next year,” said Mrs. Salmond.

People interested in finding out more about Day of Pink can consult the website www.dayofpink.org

North Addington Education Centre celebrated its undergraduates
at awards night last week. Students are acknowledged for their hard work with academic points along with other honour certificates and proficiency awards. Abby Tryon, Kendra Wilson, Emma Benn, Danielle Drysdale, Brooke Hawley and Jared Salmond received pen sets or gold watches for high academic point achievement.

Grades five and six students at Land O' Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove were thrilled to be able present a cheque for $200 to a representative from the Kingston branch of the Canadian Cancer Society on October 10. The students in Mr. Harding's class held a two-day bake sale on October 2 and 3 and said they got a “great turn out with the line-up for buyers winding through the school all the way to the pod”. Liz Bonser, volunteer engagement coordinator with the KFL&A branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, was presented with the cheque in the school library. She said she was pleased with the students' efforts and she spoke to them following the presentation. “It's not so much the amount of money but just the fact that the students care so much and made such an amazing effort to contribute.” The students sold cream puffs, cupcakes, cheesecake, cookies, pastries and other homemade goodies and were thrilled to be able to present their efforts in person to Bonser.

The fundraiser was the brainchild of Hazuki and Keeley, with Charlotte given credit for starting the tradition of a bake sale fundraiser. Some of the students said that their inspiration to help out the CCS came from learning about famed Canadian cancer research fundraiser Terry Fox.

It came as no great surprise to see the Sydenham Junior Golden Eagles leading the Bayridge Blazers 41 to 0 with just four minutes left in the final quarter of the opening game at the Bubba Bowl last week. It has for years been the tradition of Sydenham's junior and senior teams to reign supreme at their hugely popular home football double header, which is played under the bright lights of the Point Park on Sydenham Lake. The annual event continues to draw thousands of fans, many of whom are former students and players at Sydenham.

The event was named for former grade 12 Sydenham high school student and football player Alex (Bubba) Turcotte, who passed away in his sleep 12 years ago. Bubba Bowl demonstrates how football players at Sydenham High School have flourished under the direction of a host of dedicated coaches.

I spoke with Jeff Ryan, educational assistant at SHS, now in his eleventh year of coaching football at the school. This year Ryan stepped in as the head coach of the Sydenham Junior Golden Eagles following an absence due to illness by long-time juniors' head coach Jim Latimer.

Following the juniors' win Ryan said that the final outcome of the game is one that is never completely predictable.

“We knew that our players had more experience playing the game because of the minor system that happens in this area through the Bulldog teams. Unfortunately for Bayridge, they don't have that feeder.” Ryan continued on to say that he “noticed that the Bayridge team has improved a lot this year and have become very physical.”

Following the game Ryan said that Latimer would be pleased to hear about the win, and that he would be sending him a text momentarily.

Limestone District School Board officials were being optimistic in July when they targeted a November opening for the new Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) in Sharbot Lake.

That would have required the building to be substantially complete by the end of September to allow six weeks to finish up and co-ordinate moving students into the new building.

As late September came and went it became clear that the building was taking longer to complete than had been hoped, and last week the board sent a letter home to parents informing them that the new target for move in is the first day of classes in January, 2014.

And even that target is now being called a hope rather than a firm move-in date.

In the newsletter that was released last week, the question on all parents’ and students’ minds of when GREC would be ready for students was answered with the following statement:

“We hope to have students and staff begin classes in the new building on January 6, 2014. We are still on track to get into the building in November but contractors and facilities services staff will need a few extra weeks for finishing touches, and to completely clean and equip the building before moving in furniture, equipment and resources, and eventually students and staff. We plan to complete the installation of these items in phases throughout early to mid-December. We then hope to have students and staff tour the new building before the December break.”

Initially, the plan had been to move the students in in stages, with the primary students remaining at their temporary quarters at the former Sharbot Lake Public School site until the existing Sharbot Lake High School is demolished and the necessary landscaping can be done in order to create outdoor recreation areas for the exclusive use of primary-aged students.

That plan has now been scrapped. If all goes according to the latest plan, all 400 students will move in to the completed Granite Ridge on January 6, but the existing Sharbot Lake High School will still be in place.

While the board has acknowledged that “not all elementary play areas can be finished until the demolition is complete … we have revised our plans so that elementary students will have access to the field/wooded area at the east of the school as well as the gym during inclement weather.”

The board now expects the demolition will take place sometime in the spring of 2014.

In a letter to parents, Granite Ridge Principal Heather Highet said the delayed opening came about because some phases of construction took longer than expected.”

The newsletter added a bit more detail, saying “A province-wide roofers' strike in early spring delayed our progress. Approvals for the new septic system also took longer than anticipated."