The Citizen, 2007-12-06, Page 14The Ontario Public School
Boards’ Association (OPSBA) has
announced that Colleen Schenk has
been elected as president of OPSBA
at a meeting held on Dec. 1. Her
service and contributions to public
education span more than 14 years
and are hallmarked by her “children
first” approach.
Schenk believes that student
achievement is the Association’s
primary responsibility. On behalf of
1.3 million Ontario students and
their families, she is committed to
working successfully with parents,
school boards and the provincial
government to focus on areas in the
education system requiring
improvement, develop solutions that
work for children and strengthen
public confidence in Ontario’s
schools.
Schenk, a trustee and vice-chair of
the Avon Maitland District School
Board, will be supported in her
position as president of OPSBA
by vice-president Loralea
Carruthers from the York
Region District School Board
and vice-president Catherine Fife
from the Waterloo Region District
School Board. Loralea Carruthers,
who was elected June 2007 and
newly-elected Vice-President,
Catherine Fife, will provide strong
educational leadership, progressive
ideas and focused energy to the
Association’s commitment to
student success.
Schenk is serving in her fifth term
as a a school board trustee. She has
been on the OPSBA board of
directors for 10 years, seven of those
as a member of the executive. She
has served as a chair and vice-chair
of the Avon Maitland District School
Board during her tenure. As a
Trustee she represents the Northeast
Huron region and makes her home in
the Wingham area.
PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007.St. Mikes Brass Quintet performs for boardThere were musical interludes atthe most recent meeting of the
Huron-Perth Catholic District
School Board, courtesy of the
clarinets, tuba, French horn and
trombone of the St. Mikes Brass
Quintet.
“It’s fun to play in front of
people,” came the response from
trombonist Dan Carroll of Stratford,
when asked by a trustee about the
best aspect of participating in the
three-year-old instrumental music
program at St. Michael Catholic
Secondary School in Stratford.
Other students in the group were
Adeline Van Galen and Ben Wilcox
of St. Marys, Janelle Murray of St.
Columban and Lauren Parks of
Stratford.
Music teachers Tim Carroll and
Jeff McIntyre were invited by the
board to provide an update about the
instrumental program for the
meeting, Monday, Nov. 26. Carroll
had already been teaching at the
school for several years before it was
introduced, while McIntyre was
brought on when it started.
Carroll began by reminding
trustees about a guitar program that
has run at St. Mikes for about 10
years.
“It’s a very inexpensive program
to run, relative to band programs,” he
noted, adding numerous elementary
schools around the province have
also begun offering classes using
guitars.
Carroll said the school remainsenthusiastic about the guitarprogram because it attracts studentswho won’t necessarily wish topursue the concert band route. “So
many of the students in the guitar
program have a love of types of
music that are just not offered in the
band program,” he explained.
He added the St. Mikes version
has been successful in instilling a
love of music in many students. “In
my senior guitar class, almost 100
per cent of my students now have
their own guitars. Some of them own
a number of guitars.”
A choir has also existed at St.
Mikes for a number of years, but the
commencement of the instrumental
music program has allowed that
group to be accompanied “by a great
band – full drums, guitar and bass –
with a lot of energy,” Carroll noted.
“In the last two years, we’ve made
our focus contemporary Christian
music with our intention to perform
at our school liturgies.”
As part of the instrumental
element, there are three main
groupings: a junior band for Grades
9 and 10, a senior band for Grades
11 and 12, and a jazz band. Aside
from in-class instruction, the bands
play at fundraisers, sports
tournaments and other school events.
Trips have become a regular part of
the program, including to an arts
school in Chicago and the Rock and
Roll museum in Cleveland.
Then there’s the St. Mikes Brass
Quintet, which played two selections
from the Canadian Brass playlist at
the meeting. The five students were
among the first class to enter the
program when it was introduced
three years ago. Two of them are
now considering entering music
programs at post-secondary
institutions.
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By Stew SlaterSpecial to The Citizen
Special performance
The St. Mikes Brass Quintet, consisting of senior students in the instrumental music program
at Stratford’s St. Michael high school, performed at last week’s Huron-Perth Catholic District
School Board meeting in Dublin. From left: Adeline Van Galen, St. Marys; Lauren Parks,
Stratford, Ben Wilcox, St. Marys; Dan Carroll, Stratford and Janelle Murray, St. Columban
(Photo submitted)
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Schenk OPSBA president