LINDSAY, ON – Trillium Lakelands District School Board student trustee for the 2013-2014 school year is Jillian Hawley, the G7 Student Senate representative from Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS). She was elected by incoming and outgoing G7 representatives on April 26, 2013, at the G7 Student Senate Leadership Conference.
LINDSAY, ON – Students from Archie Stouffer Elementary School may return to school tomorrow, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Archie Stouffer Elementary School in Minden, Ontario has been closed to students both Monday and Tuesday of this week. The Township of Minden Hills declared a state of emergency on Saturday, April 20th which is still in effect.
School board officials and the school principal have been in regular contact with Patrick Kennedy, Director of Emergency Services, County of Haliburton Emergency Management Coordinator, Doug Schell, Fire Chief for Minden Hills Township, and township staff throughout the state of emergency.
Larry Hope, Director of Education and the emergency officials from the township, have determined that students may return to school. The Director of Education would like to assure students, parents, and guardians that, as always, a safety plan is in place in case of any emergency. The school board continues to be in regular contact with emergency services.
Parents are asked to make sure that students bring a packed lunch to school while the state of emergency continues. No student will be permitted to leave the school property during the school day while the state of emergency is in place. The only circumstance whereby a student may leave the school property during the school day is if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Regular bus transportation will be operating as normal. If current bus stops are affected by flooding, parents are asked to contact the school to make alternate bus stop arrangements. Parents may call the school at 705-286-1921.
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LINDSAY, ON – On April 25, 2013, Trillium Lakelands District School Board is hosting the second annual LGBTQ Youth and Allies conference, Open Arms, at Camp Wanakita in Haliburton. Gay Straight Alliances (GSA) are student-led groups that provide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited, queer, and questioning youth and their allies a safe space where they can work together on making their schools more welcoming for all community members regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Haliburton Highlands Secondary School focuses on the importance of mental health with their pilot program, Mindfulness Martial Arts. With funding from Trillium Lakelands District School Board and a partnership with Point in Time, Haliburton Highlands SS teacher, Martin Gage and Point in Time representative, Linda Mintz were sent to Toronto for 20 weeks of training with Integra – a children’s mental health centre leading in the treatment of vulnerable children and youth with learning disabilities. Martin, who has a 3rd degree black belt in okinawa goju and has studied ki jitsu and yoga, and Linda have been successfully running the pilot mindfulness martial arts program at Haliburton Highlands SS since the fall with hopes of expanding the program to other schools next year.
Students are collaborating noisily in the classroom as they attempt to solve a math problem using fractions. The teacher circulates around the classroom asking questions to probe students’ thinking as they solve the problem. Sitting at a table amongst the students with her iPad is Trillium Lakelands District School Board’s Student Work Study Teacher, Debra Matthews. Debra is observing and recording how each student approaches the math problem, by listening intently to the questions they are asking, and recording the struggles and successes they may be experiencing. She also snaps photos and records videos to share with her team and the students themselves.
At only 20 years old, Lindsay Alternate Education and Training Centre student, Samantha Quackenbush will be checking a momentous item off her bucket list – a trip to Scotland. But this isn’t just a leisure vacation; Sam will be accompanying the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band to play for Her Magesty the Queen and special family guests at Balmoral Castle in Perthshire.
We shall all remember this spring of 2013 that came suddenly and with a lot of water. The last couple of weeks have been stressful for many of our staff, students, and families as they encountered rising flood waters, closed roads, evacuations from homes, and in one case, a school closure.
Yesterday was the first day of spring – hard to believe when you look out the window – but spring is indeed here. Conversations at the beginning of the week focused on where folks went and how they fared during March Break. Even central office staff members who did not take a break, enjoyed the opportunity to catch up on work.
The decision on Friday by OSSTF to recommend to members to suspend their political action related to extra-curricular and voluntary activities will surely come as a welcome decision by students, parents, and many teachers. There may continue to be challenges in that many, rightly so, are still angry about the events related to the recent imposition of collective agreements. There will be some who continue to be upset about the process and choose not to return to participating in extra-curricular activities, others who embrace the opportunity to resume normal activities and begin immediately, and still others who need more time to make a final decision. It's important for each and every one of us to respect whatever choice our colleagues make and more importantly, recognize the value of individual choices, whatever those choices may be.