A career in educational administration is the best way to get on the Sunshine list in Frontenac County, according to the latest version of the Ontario Public Sector Sunshine List, which was released last week.

While there were eight employees of Frontenac County on the list for 2013, of whom five work for Frontenac Paramedic Services, and three from South Frontenac Township, 129 employees of the Limestone District School Board made over $100,000 last year.

Most of those who made the list do not teach classes, however. They come from either the board office or from the ranks of principal and vice-principal. Although the board serves the City of Kingston and the Town of Napanee as well as rural Frontenac and L&A Counties, virtually all of the principals and vice-principals in the eight schools in Frontenac County and Addington Highlands are on the list.

The biggest change in the Frontenac County list, which includes Treasurer Marian Vanbruinessen as well as Fairmount Home Supervisor Julie Shillington, and Chief of Paramedic Services Paul Charbonneau and four of his staff, is the amount that was earned last year by out-going Chief Administrative Officer Elisabeth Savill. She was paid $148,900 in 2012, and even though she left the township's employ six weeks before the end of 2013, she received $170,000 in 2013. When contacted, Frontenac County Treasurer Vanbruinessen explained that Savill's income in 2013 was inflated because when she left the county's employ she had a significant amount of accrued vacation time built up and received a one-time payment.

When the salary range for the yet to be hired new CAO was being considered as part of the recruitment process, the upper end of the range was set at $157,000.

The highest payouts listed in the sunshine list are not found in either the municipal or educational fields. Top administrators of large health care institutions received the highest salaries, such as $297,000 for Dr. Gemmill at KFL&A Public Health.

Demolition crews have begun to pull down the 60 year old Sharbot Lake High School building.

The process began two weeks ago, and this week the demolition crews are working in earnest, removing the walls where the former wood and auto-shops were located.

A letter to parents from Heather Highet, former Principal of Sharbot Lake High and now Principal of the new Granite Ridge Education Centre located just north of the former school, said that the project “is expected to take about 8 weeks.”

“There will be some noise associated with the demolition, but we shouldn't expect any more noise than was experienced during the construction of Granite Ridge,” she said.

As part of the demolition, the removal of some trees behind the old building will be necessary

“Any trees that will be removed will be provided to our forestry program, which can use these trees inn several school projects thanks to a recently acquired sawmill.”

Additional trees are gong to be planted around the property.

On March 28, musician, drummer and percussionist Leo Brooks brought his talents and musical know-how to students at the Granite Ridge Education Centre. Brooks’ presentation was part of the Blue Skies in the Community music program, which strives to bring musical education into local schools throughout the year. Brooks, who works as a musician, drummer and educator, has his own workshop in Aylmer, Quebec where he builds and repairs instruments (visit his website atwww.treefrogprecussion.com).

He arrived at GREC in Sharbot Lake early in the morning with a selection of over 80 drums and other percussive instruments that included African-styled drums called djembes, dunduns, plus a number of hand-held percussive instruments like maracas, guiros, (wooden ribbed rasp instruments played with a stick), and many clapperless bells from different cultures around the world.

Brooks began his day leading a large drum circle for students involved in a leadership training program at the school, which aims to teach students various life skills like teamwork, self-respect and cooperation. “Drumming is the perfect metaphor and vehicle for teaching those important tools and skills,” Brooks said when I spoke to him after the presentation. “I like to use the metaphor of building a house. The idea is to start by building a solid foundation using the large, lowest sounding drums, which are powerful and keep our ongoing attention and whose sound penetrates our bodies. Next we build the framework of the house using the smaller drums by adding their rhythms on top of the foundation, and lastly we add the various other elements, the windows, doors and framing of the house by using the other smaller percussive instruments which add the decorative color to the whole.”

School-to-Community students were also invited to take part in the drumming circle, which Brooks said offers a kind of immediacy to students of all levels of development and musicality. “Drumming is the kind of musical activity where you do not have to have years of training to be able to make a sound - which is needed when playing other instruments like violins and guitars,” he said.

Brooks' presentation included lessons in how to create a foundation rhythm using the dun dun drum; how to add to it and create interesting rhythms using the djembe drum; how to add different sounds and individually created rhythms using the hand-held instruments and bells; and lastly how to accentuate certain rhythms by highlighting individual drummers within the group.

Grade 11 student Ivan Wilson was so moved by the drumming that he burst out in song, adding his own original chanting rhythms into the mix, which was both a creative and effective addition to the circle. Marily Seitz, who is the publicity and outreach coordinator with Blue Skies in the Community, was thrilled to see students take part so enthusiastically in the presentation and workshops at GREC. “Our aim is to bring music to the broader area throughout the year rather than just at the Blue Skies Music Festival. Workshops are a great way to encourage students to experience and feel first hand that they have music inside of themselves. I also strongly believe that it's important for kids to learn from real musicians who know their instruments and also the ins and outs of how to encourage students to express themselves musically.”

Leo Brooks will also be giving workshops and presentations at Land O Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove and the Stewart School in Perth. Any schools looking to add the gift of music to their students can contact Marily Seitz at 613-479-2855.

Samantha Snider is a take charge kind of girl. When the nine-year-old grade 4 student at Harrowsmith Public School learned that not only had two Harrowsmith students lost their house but also their pets, it saddened her.

Not willing to remain in that state for long, Samantha decided to do something. All she could think of doing was raising money for the family to get back on their feet. She approached her teacher, Mrs. Thayer with the idea of allowing students to wear a hat of their choosing and chew gum during the two first periods for a donation of $2.

When Ms. Thayer sent Samantha, and a friend for moral support, to talk to the school's principal about her idea, it made her a bit nervous. After all, gum is not exactly encouraged in the school.

“She said yes, and then I told her I wanted to make a poster and about how I wanted to run it and she said it was a good plan. It was a lot of work just before the day but everything went really, really well,” Samantha said.

“This was clearly a very special case, said Principal Val Arsenault, “because of the cause, which is dear to all our hearts, and because of Samantha's determination to organize the event.”

Val Arsenault sent an email to all the students’ parents informing them about the event, reinforcing the message from the poster. The email also said that parents could send in more than $2 if they wanted to and all the money would go to the family.

The event took place on Thursday, March 6, which was already an exciting day for students as it was the day before the March break. Having many of the students wearing all different kinds of hats, and being able to chew gum at school just added to the festive atmosphere.

“I though maybe we would raise about $300 but lots of families sent $5 and $10, even $20, but when the total was $700 I was really surprised. That's a lot more than I thought. It made me feel good to do something nice for somebody.” said Samantha.

She does not expect to chew gum at school that often however. Although she said she “loves gum”, she understands why it is normally not allowed in school.

“It's pretty rude to chew gum in front of teachers,” she said.

A roast pork dinner, dance & silent auction fundraiser for the family is coming up on April 11 in Verona. Tickets are $15 per person or $35 per family and can be purchased through the St. Paul's church office at 372-2525 or from Marni Pedersen at 374-9929. More details next week.

As of January 31, staff and students at Sydenham High School have been holding regular classes in the school’s new 14,000 square foot addition, which they have named the Wellness Wing. The brand-new facility, which cost over $3 million, includes four new components: a 5000 square foot gym facility with change rooms, office and storage space; a new state of the art hospitality/food section that includes an industrial kitchen, a serving area and an attached classroom; a new theatre arts facility equipped with a stage, retractable seating for 90 and a control booth; and a new computer lab.

When I visited the school on February 28 all four of the new components were being utilized.

Earlier that same week a number of activities were scheduled in the new facility by staff member Jeff Sanderson in an event called Wellness Week, which focused on activities to promote the physical and mental well-being of students and to give them an opportunity to explore the new wing and what exactly it has to offer.

Tabitha Kirby, who heads up the hospitality/foods programming at the school, was busy in the new kitchen with her grade 11 hospitality students, who were aproned and preparing a catered lunch for 100 students at Loughborough Public School. The students were assembling over 100 ham and cheese sandwiches as well as preparing hors d'oeuvres -smoked salmon and cream cheese canopies, cheese crisps topped with a bean pesto and Thai shrimp rolls that they would later snack on themselves. Tabitha said she is thrilled with the new facility, which includes a brand new industrial walk-in fridge and freezer, four new six-burner stove tops, four ovens plus one combi and one convection oven, and numerous stainless steel work stations plus an attached teaching classroom. “It's wonderful, gleaming, clean and very spacious and we are really excited since we are going to be able to do a lot of new things here that we could not do in our former classroom. We will also be able grow our own fresh herbs outdoors and will expand our composting as well”, Kirby said.

Grade 11 hospitality student Sam Earle said he is thrilled with the facility and it was part of the reason that he chose to relocate to SHS. “I heard about the new kitchen facility and wanted to come to Sydenham because I heard that it was brand-new and so advanced.”

In the new drama room, drama teacher Erik Rutherford was sitting with his grade 10 drama class in a large circle on the stage floor of the new theatre arts facility and said that the facility is helping to raise the bar for the theatre arts program at the school. “It feels a bit like Harry Potter, where we have moved from the little dark hideaway under the stairs to Hogwarts. This new space offers a great learning environment and the new theatre especially gives students not only a large activity space but also a state of the art theatre facility where they can experience what it feels like to perform on stage in front of an audience.”

SHS drama students will be presenting this year’s school play in the new theatre facility with an original multi-media play titled Macdeath, which is based on the Shakespeare's Macbeth but set in the 1990s grunge scene. Show dates will be announced. Jess Sherman, who will be playing one of the leads, said that the new facility raises the bar for students. “It feels like what we are doing here is more serious and more important because of the new facility.”

The new theatre space is fully wheelchair accessible and can be used by various community groups. It is also fully equipped with audio-visual equipment for presentations.

In the new gym, which boasts a floating hardwood floor, 26-foot ceilings, new change rooms, a storage room and an office space plus lots of natural light, a grade nine volleyball tournament was underway and Vice-Principal Brent Pickering said the new gym will allow more physical activities to take place at the school on any given day. “Before this new gym was built we typically had five phys-ed classes booked at one time and only three teaching spaces. With the new gym we can place all five classes in the two gyms.” Extra-curricular sports at the school will also benefit as a result of more available gym space both before and after regular school hours and the space will also be made available to community groups as well.

Vice-Principal Pickering said the new wing will help both teaching and learning at SHS. “These new facilities are state of the art and with them we are able to offer students more and better programming at SHS, which is exciting for both students and staff here.”

Staff are raffling off the 76 new lockers in the new wing as a school fundraiser for the local food bank and students are flocking in in droves to enjoy their colorful and spacious new wing.

The official public grand opening of the new wing will take place in April and the public will be invited to tour the new facility.

Four students from the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake recently took part in the Junior Iron Chef Competition on February 9 at Loyalist College in Belleville. The goal of the annual competition is to educate high school students in the culinary arts while exposing them to the viability of a career in the field. At the same time the competition gives the college students a chance to share their skills with younger high school students. The four GREC students who participated in the competition were Hilary Howes, Kaitlyn Cadieux, Cadence Cumpson and Joelle Parr. They competed on February 9 against teams from Loyalist College Vocational Institute, St. Peters Secondary School and the Picton Education and Vocational Institute. Each team prepared a three-course meal with each student taking charge of one of the menu items, which included a spinach and mushroom bouche appetizer, a main course of stuffed and roasted pork tenderloin, numerous vegetable side dishes and for dessert, a pear frangipane tartlette.

The GREC students had ample opportunity to hone their skills and they practiced preparing their menu items on three separate occasions prior to the competition, once under the guidance of Loyalist College second year culinary management student Brennan Roy, who was also one of the judges at the competition. Roy made a special trip to GREC to assist the young chefs. “Brennan was great. He helped us get the information that we needed and also helped us improve by providing hands-on guidance and teaching us a number of useful skills, ” Kaitlyn Cadieux of the GREC team said earlier this week.

The four teams were given two hours to prepare the meal. Each team was judged on taste, presentation, overall kitchen skills as well as their cooperation as a team. GREC scored an overall 78%, which placed them in fourth place. The three other teams, who placed first, second and third, were invited to a second round of the competition on March 1 at Loyalist College's annual Food and Beverage Show. In the end it was St. Peters who took the first place prize.

Although the GREC team was eliminated in the first round, the students were pleased with their results and found the experience a rewarding one. Kaitlyn Cadieux, who prepared the appetizer portion of the meal for the GREC team, she spoke of the overall results of her team. “We were docked points for a few minor things like leaving the hand sanitizer on the counter during prep. Hilary's dessert won the most points awarded in the taste category for the dessert portion and the judges told us that of all of the schools who took part, we demonstrated the best cooperation and communication skills.”

Kaitlyn said the cooperation aspect likely resulted from the fact that she, Cadence, and Hilary had all worked together previously at the former Rising Bun Bakery in Sharbot Lake. That and the fact that Joelle Parr was a great addition to the team.

While Kaitlyn admitted that it was a bit of a disappointment not to win, she said that the experience was a fun and rewarding one. “I learned a lot about taking the lead in certain situations and how to collaborate with others.” Asked if she plans to pursue studies in the culinary arts, she said that that would be unlikely. “I don't think that I fit in that well to a kitchen environment and I don't think that I have the creativity as far as food goes that you need to have.” That being said she encourages students who may be interested in taking part in the competition to do so. “It was a very worthwhile experience and a really fun way to challenge yourself in a new and interesting way,” she said. 

North Addington Education Centre students celebrated winter on February 28, with a Carnaval. They were joined by students from Granite Ridge Education Centre and Clarendon Public School. The event was organized by Madame Douwes, the Elementary French teacher, as part of a project involving other French teachers and students. Because of the icy temperatures, some events had to be changed so all events took place in the school, rather than outside, as previously planned. This led to some quick adjustments by Madame Douwes, assisted by a number of secondary teachers. Many secondary students volunteered to help run activities, making it a great co-operative learning experience for the entire school. Elementary students and their teachers cycled through a variety of events, including face painting, hockey golf, a three-legged race, maple taffy making, a wheelbarrow race, birdfeeder making, and crepe-eating. Points and prizes were awarded to students who made the extra effort to speak French throughout the day. Bonhomme, a mascot of the Quebec Winter Carnaval, made an appearance at the beginning of the day, and kept popping in on activities as the day progressed.

The day was a very busy one, and the students had a lot of fun as they learned about French activities and culture. Principal Angela Salmond said that at the end of the day Mr. Mooney addressed the assembly, and encouraged “Three cheers for Madame Douwes,” and the students erupted into deafening cheers. Madame Douwes remarked that it was the joint effort of all the students and staff at the school that resulted in such a successful day.

Olympian Mike Smith got a send off to Sochi like no other! Mike is one of the three goalies who made the cut to play for the Canadian Olympic hockey team and on February 6 his former school, Prince Charles Public School in Verona, gave him a wonderful pep rally. The gym was packed with not only students and staff but also community members. With the great wonders of technology Mike was there via a Skype link that was set up by his supportive parents, Ingrid and Ron Smith. They were invited to the school by PCPS teacher Lisa Cousins-Badour, who wanted to help the students celebrate with Mike and his family.

Students had prepared for the day by decorating the school's main foyer and gym with 250 paper NHL jerseys, each inscribed with Mike's NHL number 41. Mr. Burnham's grade 8 class made a special banner wishing Mike luck at the games. Each student was given their very own Canadian flag to wave as Ingrid Smith set up the Skype connection with her son, who was in Phoenix at the time, which was then projected onto a large screen. Once the connection was made, the students began by chanting a number of cheers that they had prepared, one of them ending with the line “Go For Gold!”

The children were also able to ask him many questions including "Hey Mike, what are you packing in your suitcase?" and "Mike how do you keep fit?". The good-natured Veronaian had no problem replying... "Well of course my hockey equipment and I always start the day by having over 300 hockey pucks shot at me!"  He also said he would be using a brand new helmet that he had designed specially for the Olympic games.

Grade 7 student Olivia Minifie asked Mike how he planned to cope with the stress and pressure that competing in the Olympics can bring. Mike answered that he counts on his family for their support, which helps to relieve the stress and to keep him focused. Grade 2 student Clare Swinton asked Mike if his family would be joining him. He explained that the following Sunday he would be joined in Atlanta, Georgia by his parents (they have since made the trip to Sochi with him). Mike's wife Brigitte (a former Olympian herself) and their two young sons, both toddlers, would remain behind in Verona.

Mike spoke to the students of his days as a young student at PCPS and his dreams of going to Olympics as a hockey player, and of how he is now living that dream. He spoke of the importance of following your dream and encouraged the PCPS students to follow their own dreams and do their best to make them a reality.

Mike related to the students that even if he did not get a chance to get onto the ice at the games, he would be practicing with the team and that the experience of being chosen to be a part of the team will be something he will always cherish and be proud of.

After Mike thanked the students for all of their support, the school's principal, Peter Dendy, promised that should Mike play in any of the games, he would do his best to broadcast the games in the school gym and would invite all the students and members of the community to the school to watch. Mike's mother Ingrid spoke as well and became emotional, thanking the community for their ongoing support for Mike over the years.

Teacher Lisa Cousins-Badour, who organized the event, said one of her aims was to make the 2014 Olympics a more tangible and real experience for the students at the school.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and one to take advantage of and I wanted the students to be able to have a chance to make the experience an even more special and personal one."

She added that she wanted the students to also understand that Mike's dream has come with its own ups and downs, but that all along the way he has received support from his family and the community.

The Olympic men's hockey competition is slated to begin today, February 13.

Judging by the enthusiasm of the students offering visitors tours of the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake on January 29, it looks as though both staff and students have taken a liking to their new home and home of the newly named Granite Ridge Gryphons.

Grade ten students Aadan Kempe and Riley Teal took me on a tour of the new building, which boasts a three-storey main foyer atrium; huge glass windows in every classroom; an expansive gym with freshly painted logos of the Gryphon team name; a large cafeteria equipped with a huge stage; plus a brand new library on the main floor.

Aadan and Randy pointed out some of the students' favorite hangouts, like the Gryphons' Grotto located in a smaller room on the main floor. They each are fans of their new school for different reasons. Riley, who plays a lot of sports, said he is especially pleased with the school new gym and Aadan said he was fond of the fact that there are white boards in every classroom.

Asked how they enjoy having younger students around, Aadan said it's nice because he knows many of them. The younger students use different entrances into the building so their paths don't often cross with the older students.

Staff also seem to be settling in to their new digs. Grade 8 teacher Julie Schall was busy in her class after hours and said she was pleased with her spacious new classroom. “I love the space and the students enjoy it as well and love the fact that they can rearrange their desks when they are working in groups. They also seem really pleased to be a part of something bigger and also to have the opportunity to volunteer to help out in the kindergarten classes. Because of the presence of the younger students in the school the older students seem to be much more aware of the impact that their actions are having on others,” Schall said.

I met two women also on a tour, one of whom was Cheryl Allen, chair of the school council at GREC, who has a daughter in grade 12 at the school. “I love all of the light, the brightness and the colours and the great new gym,” she said when I met her on the third floor. Allen was part of the PARC and design committee for GREC and she said that seeing the new school finished and being used was a great opportunity to see the whole process come together.

School Principal Heather Highet said she was pleased with all the space available to both students and staff. “We love it and the nice thing is that not only are all of the new classrooms great teaching spaces but they are also a lot of creative learning spaces that can be used by students and teachers throughout the building." She said the new gym is a special bonus especially for kindergarten to grade 8 students, who now have a chance to use the gym every day. “A huge vinyl curtain can come down, dividing the gym in two so that both the elementary and older students can be using the gym at the same time.”

Highet said there a few finishing touches that still need doing, like repairing a few cracked windows that were damaged during construction, and putting a final coat of varnish on the gym floor, which will happen over the March break.

Yet to be operational are the water fountains. Culligan water coolers are presently being used by staff and students as they await the water filtration system being up and running. Highet assured me that the water has been tested and is fine and that is just a matter of the system needing to cycle through a number of times before it becomes operational, likely this month. Highet said the new cafeteria and stage will probably be available for public use by next fall.

Asked if she thinks the demolition of the old school will have any negative effects on the day-to-day operations at the new school, Highet said that she is not expecting any disruptions. The demolition will begin on the March break at the south end of the old school.

The Physical Education classes at North Addington Education Centre were on wheels last week.  Mrs. Sarah Sproule, a secondary physical education teacher, arranged for the unique opportunity by organizing the rental of 10 wheelchairs for classes to experience sports and life from a different perspective. Throughout the week, grade 8-12 students had a chance to play basketball, dodge ball and navigate through a variety of obstacle courses.

Outside of the gym, students attempted to maintain their regular activities within the school while using the chairs: "Getting a drink wasn't hard, it was impossible" said Sarah Connell.  "Navigating the hallways during break was difficult” noted Courtney Dacuk.  By the end of the week, the students had multiple blisters, sore arms and shoulders, along with a much clearer perspective on the challenges and successes of others.