HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-03-05, Page 23AbraKIDabra! a renownedchildren's show is making its way toBlyth just in time for March Break,March 16 at 6 p.m.
This magic show for kids has been
touring Canada for over 20 years and
has been called “the funniest magic
show you’ll see all year.”
The show features a cardiograph,
which is a cartoon drawing which
comes magically to life, the sketch-
o-magic, three-kid monte and a
bigger wand, which reminds parentsto bring their cameras.AbraKIDabra features PeterMennie, who has spent over 40 years
as a magician. Over his career, he
has done it all, performing in small
and intimate close-up shows as well
as full-blown illusion shows.
Tickets are available for $6 each of
$20 for a family of five. They are
available at the Blyth Festival box
office at 519-523-9300.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009. PAGE 23.
Smart Boards – the latest, multi-
functional technology in the
classroom – have been installed with
considerable frequency over the past
few weeks in the Avon Maitland
District School Board.
And administrators predict they
won’t see a recurrence of a problem
which recently saw several of them
unassembled and stored in boxes
while classroom teachers waited for
their installation.
Listowel District Secondary
School student trustee Luke
McIntosh, who brought the issue
forward at a regular board meeting
in early February, confirmed last
week that several Smart Boards have
been installed in his school since
that time.
At the board’s subsequent regular
meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 24,
education director Chuck Reid
explained that – even before the
complaint was raised – two outside
contractors had been hired by the
board to deal with the backlog.
Since that happened, there have
been about 16 installations per week
of the Canadian-designed, high-
tech projection screen/oversize
computer keypad/interactive
chalkboard units.
In addition, the board’s own
maintenance department has
gradually increased its skills and
knowledge about Smart Board
installation. Reid suggested the
department is now able to install
between three to six units per week,
and that should allow the board to
avoid backlogs in the future, even
without hiring extra help.
In an interview after the Feb. 24
meeting, however, education
superintendent Mike Ash cautioned
that there could still be problems at
certain times of the year due to the
ongoing popularity of the products.
Ash said delivery from the Calgary-
based company may still be
uncertain at times.
Reid, meanwhile, praised
McIntosh for speaking up earlier in
the month.
“Thank you for the question,” he
told the student trustee. “It did
stimulate action . . . Sometimes it
pays to ask small but pointed
questions.”
With rock music as a sonic
backdrop, images of
environmentally-conscious students
and teachers were shown to trustees
of the Huron-Perth Catholic District
School Board on Monday, Feb. 23,
as they learned about a St. Marys
elementary school’s goal of being
recognized as an ECO-School.
“There are gold, silver and bronze
designations, so our first goal is to
earn the Bronze designation. But
really, we’re going for the gold,”
explained Holy Name of Mary
principal Greg Haber, after he had
replayed a music and slide
presentation that had first been
shown at the school to drum up in-
school support.
The ECO-School program is
sanctioned by Ontario’s Education
Ministry to promote
environmentally sensitive practices
in schools. Both the Huron-Perth
board and the Avon Maitland
District School Board have endorsed
the program and encouraged schools
to participate.
Haber said he decided to
encourage the school to take part
when he took over as principal at
Holy Name of Mary. And his
teaching staff – particularly Angela
Bazinet-Lane – offered enthusiastic
support.
Haber told trustees about the
Grade 5/6 teacher’s surprise when
she noticed that some roofing
contractors had thrown the school’s
recycling into the garbage dumpster.
“I apologize for the health and
safety violation here, but she
climbed in and started sorting out
our recycling,” he related.
Speaking to reporters after the
presentation, Haber noted that other
schools in the district are also
pursuing ECO-School designations,
but a Huron-Perth administrator was
sufficiently impressed with Holy
Name of Mary’s efforts that they
invited the school to let trustees
know about it at a board meeting.
“We’re doing some things that are
certainly unique. Not every school is
doing them,” the principal
explained.
Among the efforts that might
seem over and above the regular
“reduce, reuse and recycle” mantra,
students sort and rinse milk-type
cartons – which aren’t acceptable for
recycling in St. Mary's – and send
them to a Toronto recycler. Batteries
are also collected and taken to a
depot. Paper is utilized through the
“GOOSE” method – “good on one
side.”
And, according to Haber, Bazinet-
Lane insists that no disposable
plates or cutlery are used when food
is served in the school.
“She has every person in that
school, to her credit, thinking about
what goes into our garbage, what
goes into our recycling, and what
goes into our compost,” Haber said.
ECO-School administrators
require that a binder full of record-
keeping be submitted by the school,
along with its application for
designation.
According to Haber, that will
submitted in April, and the school
should learn about its ECO-School
status before the end of the 2008-09
school calendar.
St. Marys’ Holy Name of Mary
hopes to be an ECO-School
Thanks
The Wingham Town Hall Heritage Theatre was the recipient of a $77,000 grant over two years
from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell was on hand to
deliver the news, Feb. 27. The funds will go towards hiring a consultant and developing a
business plan for the struggling group. From left: North Huron deputy-reeve Murray Scott,
Heritage Theatre board chair Doug French, Mitchell, and Heritage Theatre vice-chair Joanne
Davis. (Advance Times photo)
AbraKIDabra comesto Memorial Hall
Smart Board installed at schools
Happy 40th
Anniversary
Ria & Henk Van Den Broek
Love your family
Happy 2nd Birthday
Jayden Ansley
Love always:
Daddy, Mommy & Ava
xoxo
Only Area
Show!
On Sale
NOW!
BILL ANDERSON
~ Country Legend ~
Sat. May 2 at 7:30 pm
Wingham Town
Hall Heritage Theatre
Tickets:
by tel: 1-866-357-4082
by email: wht@wightman.ca
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Bouncy snowmen
Last week at Brussels Public School, some students
stayed at the school, while some went to the Brussels,
Morris and Grey Community Centre for its Winter Fun Fest.
At the arena, students were bowling, skating and playing
hockey, while at the school, students played a game where
they were bouncy snowmen throwing balls at each other.
Here, clockwise from left: Diego Muniz, Myles Johnston,
Justin Ford and Riley Holthuysen defend their end from
incoming balls. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen