The Redwood Acres Public School gymnasium was filled with the happy sounds of children playing during the morning of Wednesday, February 27, 2008 as they and their parents attended the grand opening of the Best Start Hub for English Language children living in the Valley East area. A total of twelve such locations will be in operation around the Greater Sudbury Area by September 2008.

   Shown in the photo during the official ribbon-cutting session, from left to right are: Melissa Pitfield, Director of Child Care Programs for YMCA; Jenny Southerland, Supervisor of the Child Care Centre at Redwood Acres; Lise Hawes, Early Years Practitioner for Best Start; Liam Desrochers (4) and Andrea Richer (3), cutting the ribbon; Michelle Piche, Early Years Practitioner for Best Start; and Gail Luopa, Coordinator of the Best Start Program.

   The Best Start Program is operated in partnership with the YMCA Licensed Child Care Services and the Rainbow District School Board in order to provide young children from birth to age 6 with an opportunity to participate in some stimulating learning experiences within their community schools. Together with their parents, grandparents, or care givers, children take part in a directed program which includes crafts, discovery time, physical activities and special workshops. The parents stay with their children during the session and take part in the activities as well. The program offers children a chance to get ready for entry into the school system in Junior Kindergarten and also allows parents a chance to access some very important support services that are offered by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
 
   There is no cost to attend the sessions which are held in the Child Care Centre at Redwood Acres. Space is limited so if you wish to attend you should make sure to arrive early.

   The Best Start Hub is open at Redwood Acres on the first three Thursdays of the month from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It is also open during the evenings on the first three Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The 2^nd Thursday of the month is “Dad’s Night” and is only open to children accompanied by their male parent or care giver. The last Saturday of every month the program runs from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, starting in April 2008.

   Other English Language Best Start Hubs that are available nearby and supervised by Practitioners Lise Hawes and Michelle Piche include, Confederation Secondary School every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and upstairs at the library in Capreol every Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
 
   If you would like more information about the Best Start Program of the Child Care Services program at Redwood Acres Public School you can contact Melissa Pitfield at 688-7300 ext. 2137.

  The Ministry of Public Affairs of the Student Parliament at Confederation Secondary School has entered into a special contest with the students of Lockerby Composite and Espanola High Schools . The winner will walk away with a prize of $3000 which will go towards graduation awards. The winning school will be the one that collects the greatest number of used or damaged cell phones, PDA’s, Blackberrys and pagers during the month of March.

   Some of the Confederation Secondary School Students who are participating in the project are shown in the above photo, from left to right are: Shannyn Falcioni, Steven McAnulty, Eugena Auge, Miranda Fowler, and Andrew Smith.
   The contest is being sponsored by Roger’s Phones, but the students are collecting all types of phones including Bell Mobility.

   Besides being a special contest that the students have entered to help with their graduation awards, this is an excellent way to recycle old cell phones that are no longer usable.
   The goal of Phones-for-Food is to alleviate hunger and divert waste from landfill sites. 100% of the proceeds raised through the process of recycling used wireless devices are given to the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB) which operates the program and distributes the funds to local food banks.

   Phones-for-Food is the FIRST national wireless device recycling program of its kind in Canada . It launched in 2003 as a result of the success of its thINK FOOD printer cartridge-recycling program.

   One wireless device, depending on its age and condition, can generate an average of $2-$5 which is equivalent to one carton of milk or a jar of peanut butter – even a whole meal — to someone in need.
   Since 2004, approximately 220,000 wireless devices were diverted from landfills and in the process raised almost $500,000 for the CAFB and food banks across Canada .

   If you would like to help out the students from Confederation Secondary School , simply bring your old cell phones to the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre and drop them off at the Source by Circuit City or at Desjardins' Food Basics. The students will then pick up the phones from those places. Please be aware that the students cannot accept chargers, accessories such as headphones and car adapters, or ink cartridges. This contest is only for wireless devices such as cell phones, PDA’s, Blackberrys and pagers.

Don Dupuis stopped by to purchase one of the tickets which will give him a chance at winning one of the daily prizes that will be awarded during the month of March. The $5 ticket gives him 31 chances at winning a cash prize. Every Sunday during March the prize will be $100; Saturdays the prize will be $50; and all weekday winners will receive a prize of $20. In all, $1170 in prizes will be handed out to thirty one winners.

This is the first year Ecole Notre Dame has tried this type of fund-raiser. You can also pick up one of your tickets at the school every Friday or by calling 969-4411.

Sue is also President of the Club Optimist de la Vallee, a youth organization that is dedicated to raising money in support of youth-based activities. The group organizes an annual golf tournament, bike rodeo, Christmas breakfast and Popcorn Fridays at the school. They provide funding to individuals who need financial assistance in order to improve the quality of life of children in the family. 

On top of that, Sue is the manager of the two hockey teams her children play on in Valley East. Her son, Justin, attends Grade 10 at Collage Notre Dame in Sudbury.

Sue stopped working outside the home when her daughter was ten years of age. "I decided it was more important for me to be around for my children than to continue working and have more money for those extra luxuries. We just have to watch what we spend and we sacrifice a few things, but I don't regret my decision for one minute. It has made a world of difference for my children to know that their mother is available when needed. It has also been a wonderful experience for them to see me getting so involved in the community and in their school activities."

While her schedule is certainly filled with plenty to do because of her community involvement and volunteering activities, Sue wouldn't have it any other way, "I think it is important for children to see their parents getting involved in their community. It shows them how much we care and gives them a good example to follow when they have their own children. I know I am very fortunate to be in a position where I am able to take time from my career to devote to my children. It is something I am grateful for and will continue to take advantage of as long as I can."

Shown in the photo, from left to right, are: Carrie-Ann Castilloux, Marie Rose, Dominique Leroux, Renee Bertrand, Nathalie Lebeau, Lynn Aubuchon, Charlene Quesnel, and Fatima Sankoh.

The girls are all part of the 4 year French language nursing program at the school.

Shown with Silka are, Knights of Columbus 7368 Paul VI Grand Knight Roger Brideau and KC District Warden and event coordinator, Rick Rivais.

A total of 27 students from Valley East, Capreol, Levack and Chelmsford participated in the competition at Valley View. Each participant was allowed 25 free throws with the boy and girl in each age category with the most baskets being declared winners and advancing to the Regional Finals on March 1.

Under immense pressure, Silka sunk an amazing total of 18 baskets for a 72% free throw accuracy rate - a statistic that many NBA stars would be pleased with.

Silka is an excellent student and a natural athlete. During the winter she plays hockey on King Sportswear Atom Lions. In the summer she is on the Valley East Soccer Club competitive team for 9 and 10 year olds and she is a member of the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club where she is trying to follow in the footsteps of her father Mike Abresch and her grandfather, Ken Davidson.

When asked to share her secret to success on the free throw line, Silka made a remarkable statement that explains her performance in everything she does. "I just think about getting it in." Her answer reminded me about a story once told about Pete Rose, the infamous baseball legend who was arguably the best hitter ever in the history of baseball. One day he was 73 hits away from breaking the all time record when a reporter asked him how many more at bats he thought it would take to break the record. Pete Rose quickly answered, "73." When pressed to explain how he thought he could get 73 consecutive hits, he quickly answered again, "I never go up to bat expecting to fail. Every time I step up to the plate I expect to get a hit. So, if I need 73 more hits, I expect to do it in my next 73 at bats."

For Silka, every time she steps up to the foul line, she expects to get a basket. Failure never crosses her mind. For a 9-year old, she has certainly shown remarkable perception about life.

Silka lives in Valley East with her parents, Mike and Debbie, as well as her brother, Dexton (16) who is in Grade 11 at Confederation Secondary School, and her sister, Everett (13), who is in Grade 7 at Valley View Public School.

   Courtney Bruneau is in her 3^rd year in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Laurentian University. She is a resident of Hanmer and has always had a passion for music and performing. After graduating next year she plans on moving to Ottawa where she hopes to begin some kind of career in the film industry, either on screen as a performer or in the creative side of the business.
  
   “I have always had a passion for music and creative arts,” explained Courtney. “I play the piano and I was in a band called ‘From Far Apart’ for a while.”

   Courtney was introduced to CKLU 96.7 FM radio over a year ago when one of her friends was hosting a show recently. “I liked what I heard and thought it would be fun for me to volunteer to do a show of my own, so here I am.”

   CKLU 96.7 FM has been in existence for almost 24 years. The studio is at Laurentian University and is run mostly by volunteers who come in and host a wide variety of alternative shows. You can pick up the station on any radio as well as on Cable 106.7. For a complete list of programs you can visit the web site at www.cklu.ca.
  
   Courtney hosts a show called “City Spins” every Monday night from 4 to 5 p.m. During that hour she plays music that has been produced by local bands from the Greater Sudbury Area. “Most of the music is really good,” she commented. “I didn’t realize that there was so much talent in the Sudbury area and it covers a broad range of styles from punk to folk rock.”
  
   CKLU 96.7 FM is the type of radio station that allows listeners to tune in to alternative programs that commercial broadcasters have moved away from. For example, Robert Kirwan, the writer for The Vision Paper hosts his own show every Monday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. called The Learning Clinic Education Forum. It is a two-hour talk show that includes interviews with special guests and discussions about topics of interest in the world of education. Roger Chevrier, another resident of Valley East hosts a couple of shows every week on Friday night from 6 to 8 called “My Pickin Parlour” and Sunday mornings from 10 to 12 noon called “Sittin’ Back Pickin’”. Listeners tend to find shows that will be of interest to them and then they tune in during that same time every week. Each show has its own following and with such a wide variety of shows to select from, it is certain that everyone will find something they like. Many people have stated that this virtually commercial free radio station provides them with an escape from the main-stream stations.
  
   In fact, the advent of satellite radio seems to be a throw-back to the CKLU philosophy. We are also finding that some radio stations in southern Ontario are beginning to focus more and more on particular target audiences in their programming, thus we are finding stations devoted entirely to talk shows on sports, entertainment, etc. It appears as if radio is beginning to go the way of cable and satellite television with a multitude of different channels all focusing on their own particular niche market.
  
   CKLU 96.7 FM has never changed it’s commitment to providing local people with an opportunity to host their own specialty shows directed to their own target markets. Thus, people like Courtney Bruno, Robert Kirwan and Roger Chevrier are encouraged to find an open time spot and produce their own style of show for anyone in the area who shares their interests. Some hosts have been in their own time slots for over ten years.
  
   Courtney will continue to promote local musicians on her show “City Spins” as long as she remains in the Sudbury area. If you are interested in local music, tune in to CKLU 96.7 FM, every Monday night from 4 to 5 p.m. and see what Courtney has to offer. And don’t forget Robert Kirwan’s education show or Roger Chevrier’s shows for guitar players.
  
   Congratulations to Courtney Bruneau for giving us another reason to be proud that we live in Valley East .

   The 23 students enrolled in the Grade 11 Open Parenting Class at Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School  took part in a “Baby Think It Over” program during the month of December that gave them all a rude awakening into the challenges of raising a baby.
   Their teacher, Lori Roy, had them take part in a three day – two night parenting simulation thanks to the generous cooperation of Our Children Our Future who loaned RealBaby simulators for the experiment. Each of the simulators is valued at over $1000 and each was programmed to act just as a real baby would act. All of the RealBabies were programmed differently so that each baby was unique. Some were quiet and well behaved, while others cried more than usual with irregular sleep patterns.
   Each of the baby simulators recorded the feeding, changing, neglect, rough handling, and failure to support the baby’s head during the experiments. Each student had an ID bracelet around their wrist that monitored the care. RealBaby schedules were based on infant test babies so that they mimicked the care needed by an actual baby as closely as possible. The students were required to get up during the evening every two hours or more for feeding and to take care of crying babies. Many of the participants noted that at the end of the three days and two nights they were totally exhausted. They also noted that the baby occupied their entire day, even while in school, and that they could not “get away” from the responsibility for taking care of their baby.
   Some of the students vowed that it would be a very long time before they had a baby of their own now that they had a better understanding of the responsibilities. Many of them indicated that it was difficult dealing with the stress of caring for their simulated baby and the lack of sleep elevated their already frazzled nerves. When their babies began crying during class, on the bus ride home, or in the cafeteria, they had to deal with angry students who were not all that compassionate about the noises being made by the baby.
   The program was intended to give students a first-hand look at some of the adjustments they would have to make if they ever had a baby before they were ready. The students concluded that it is very important for them to stabilize their own life and careers before bringing in another infant who would severely complicate their life plans.  They also seemed to appreciate the stress that their own parents went through in raising them and many indicated that they now understood the pressures their parents were facing as they were dealing with “teenagers” like themselves.
   They all felt that the program was very useful, but some indicated that they would not want to repeat the experiment any time soon.

   Mme Helene Berthiaume, 3^rd from the left in the back row of the photo, is not afraid to demonstrate her passion for francophone culture!  As the Program Leader for French Immersion at Confederation Secondary School , she tries to demonstrate to the students that it is much easier to master the language when you incorporate some of the positive elements of the French way of life into your own.
 
   This year Mme Berthiaume and the nearly 90 French Immersion students from the school organized the Second Annual REVEILLON celebration, entitled “LE PREMIER NOEL”. The group in the photo provided the entertainment for a concert that was held in the gym on December 14, 2007 for all of the French Immersion students from Grades 4 and up at Valley View Public School as well as for all of the immersion students at Confederation. During the intermission the audience was provided with snacks and refreshments prepared by the students. Students of the program were responsible for all aspects of the concert, from the set up to the entertainment to the cooking and clean-up. It was a wonderful experience for everyone.

  Over 200 students from Confederation Secondary School took time off from their classes for two hours on December 12 to hit the streets of Valley East and Capreol. They were taking part in the 27^th Annual “Christmas Is Giving” Food Drive and the results were spectacular!
 
   A total of 2400 food items, including one hundred 10 lb bags of potatoes donated by Valley Growers was collected and distributed to the Good Neighbours Food Bank of Hanmer and the Capreol Lions to be given out to needy families during the Christmas season.
 
   In addition to the food items, the staff of Confederation donated another $470 to purchase turkeys for the nearly two hundred hampers that will be prepared thanks to the efforts of the students.

   Steven McAnulty, Minister of Public Relations in the Confederation Student Parliament, is shown making the presentation to representatives from both groups. From the left we have Margaret Bourgeois and Anne Unwin of the Good Neighbours Food Bank, Steven McAnulty, and then we have Ken Gustafson and Earl Kent of the Capreol Lions Club.

   In the background are some of the other members of the Ministry of Public Affairs. From the left: Evgena Auge, Devon Labelle, Shannyn Falcioni, Miranda Fowler, and Mel Thomas.
 
   Patricia Miller and Cynthia Farrar, the two staff advisors to the Ministry of Public Relations, both congratulated the members of the ministry as well as all of the students and staff of Confederation Secondary School for coming though once again to help brighten up this time of year for so many less fortunate families in our community. They also extended their sincere thanks to the people in Valley East and Capreol who so generously donated to the students this year.

  It was on Christmas Eve that Kristina Foulem’s passion for music was kindled and ever since then the talented 13 year old, Grade 8 student at Marymount Academy has been writing and singing.

   “My friend, Kayla Bianchin and I were outside on Christmas Eve and we were getting cold, so went inside the house and decided to make up a song. Ever since than I have been writing songs and putting them to music,” explained Kristina who has recorded two of those songs onto a CD with the hope that they will one day be heard over the local airwaves.

   Her mother, Joanne, is especially proud of what her daughter has accomplished, “She wrote one of the songs for me when she saw how I was struggling with my Police Foundations program. It took me 2 ½ years to complete the program and I thought of quitting at times. She wrote a song called, ‘Never Give Up’ which inspired me to finish the course and now in January 2008 I will be heading to the Policy Academy in Aylmer before starting my new career with the OPP.”

It was just a normal practice session for Confederation’s Evolutionary Band after school on Wednesday, October 26. Courtney Tattersall, shown in the photo above, one of the senior lead singers on the band had just completed performing a song with her band that was originally recorded by Suzie McNeil. After the song, Music director, Norm McIntosh, asked Courtney to tell the rest of the group why she liked that song so much. Courtney was more than happy to express her love of the young rock star and proceeded to explain to the rest of the band how much she enjoyed her music.
    
At that point, Mr. McIntosh, who has been known for shocking the bank with guests dropping in to see them during rehearsals, said, “Well, Courtney, if you like her music so much, why don’t you tell Suzie McNeil herself just how you feel.”

Then, to the total surprise of everyone in the room, out of the darkness stepped Courney’s idol, Suzie McNeil herself. After Courtney recomposed herself, McNeil asked Courtney to join her in singing the song that she had just performed so beautifully in front of the star.

Throughout the years Suzie McNeil has accumulated an impressive array of musical accomplishments and has performed with some of the top stars in the business, even appearing in front of a crowd of over 200,000. She received much acclaim at the end of 2005 when she was the last woman standing on  CBS Television’s reality series Rockstar:INXS.

   In the spring of 2007 she released her first CD “Broken and Beautiful” and this fall she worked with Bell Canada to produce an Olympics inspired video of her hit song, “Believe”, which is being considered as the possible “theme song” for the 2008 Winter Games being held in Vancouver .
  
   Suzie talked to the band for a while, signed some autographs and then headed off to the Grand Theater for an evening performance in Sudbury .

   For Chris Scagnetti, President of Saturn of Sudbury, shown standing on the right, the opportunity to become “Principal For A Day” at Pinecrest Public School in Val Therese was something “I just couldn’t pass up.”
   
   Others in the photo with him include “the real principal, Jacques Mantha, along with three Grade 7 students who were enjoying a very interesting discussion with Mr. Scagnetti about possible careers in the automotive industry. The students, from the left included Cody Boileau, Jesse Dordevic, and Jesse Lampsa.

   Kellie MacKenzie, one of the two “Literacy Teachers” at Redwood Acres Public School is shown working with Grade 2 student, Kyle, on some of his writing skills. On Thursday, October 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. , Kellie and her colleague, Monica MacMillan, will be coordinating the 2^nd Annual Family Literacy Night for parents and children of the entire community.
 
   “Our theme this year is ‘Writing Through The Arts’, “explained Ms MacKenzie. “We will be offering five different 20-minute workshops that will be lead by experts who will take parents and their children through an interactive experience designed to promote writing skills.”

   The evening will feature Nancy Gareth-Coulombe from the Art Gallery , Chuck Roberts using music as a writing tool, story writing with Michelle Walton and Miss Hallman as well as a “Book Fair” where parents can purchase or order some excellent reading resources for their children.

   The Family Literacy Night is open to all parents and children of the community and is free of charge. Just drop in to Redwood Acres Public School at 4625 Carl Street in Hanmer. You can call 969-4435 for more information. Writing is one of those communication skills that is so valuable today and anything parents can do to encourage a love of writing in their children is well worth the time and effort.

Below, Cody, the son of Educational Assistant Mrs. Olivier, juggles teddy bears.

On November 9^th, at Redwood Acres Public School , teachers and students recognized the contributions of our Canadian War Veterans. Grade 4 students hosted the Remembrance Day ceremony, with contributions from the school choir. Student poetry was shared, and a slide show was presented demonstrating the significance of the poppy. The ceremony concluded with Grade 4 students singing their rendition of John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change”.

Student Page Is A Free Public Education Service Provided To
The Schools of Valley East by
Robert Kirwan, B.A. (Math), M.A. (Education)
Independent Education & Career Planning Advisor
Member of the Ontario College of Teachers
His office is located at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, Hanmer, Ontario
Office Phone: (705) 524-7006       Home Phone: (705) 969-7215