New Tattoos for Bluewater District School Board School
In February, the student community council at Northport Elementary School unveiled winning designs in an internal competition to create tattoos for the school. Sophia Hestera’s design was chosen for the K to grade 4 contest and Hayden Johnson’s design won for the grade 5 to 8 contest. The new tattoos feature Northport’s cougar logo and are intended to be used for school fundraising and sports events.
For more information, visit and search on “Northport School Designs Tattoos”.
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Promotes Mental Health Awareness
A new slogan to head the mental health programs at Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB was chosen in January. “Minds Matter at KPRDSB” was submitted by Peterborough teacher Andrea Orbell, selected from over 200 entries from across the entire board community. The board’s mental health steering committee and a student leadership group oversaw the selection process and created a companion hashtag #mindsmatter@kprdsb to allow information to be shared via social media.
Board chair Cathy Abraham said in a release, “We believe the education community can, and should, play a leading role in addressing, promoting and maintaining mental well-being as a key component of a healthy society.”
For more information, contact Judy Malfara, communications – school liaison, Kawartha PineRidge DSB, (705) 742-9773 or toll-free at (877) 741-4577, ext. 2001, www.kprschools.ca.
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board Honours Former Trustee and Chair
In March, Stirling Public School held ceremonies to honour Carl Pitman, a long-time trustee and former chair of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board who passed away in 2011. The central core of the school, including the gym, the stage and the learning commons, was dedicated to Pitman at ceremonies involving members of the school community and the public.
Pitman was first elected to the former Hastings County Board of Education in 1997, serving first as trustee, and then as chair of the amalgamated board from 2006 until his death. He is remembered for his sense of humour and caring, as well as his deep commitment to students. During his term as chair, he oversaw the implementation of the board’s Achievement in Motion for Student Success, a five-year program that has since been renewed for a second term. Pitman was equally active in the community of Stirling with his involvement in his church, the local Lions Club and Scouts Canada. He was also a well-respected member of OPSBA’s Board of Directors.
For more information, contact Kerry Donnell, communications, Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, (613) 966-1170 or 1(800) 267-4350, extension 2354, kdonnell@hpedsb.on.ca.
Algoma Celebrates Anishinaabe Culture
In February, more than 600 grade 6 students from the Algoma region learned about Anishinaabe culture at an event marking local education day. Students from the Algoma District School Board, the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board, the Conseil Scolaire Catholique and École publique Écho-des-Rapides attended an event hosted by Algoma University and the Anishinaabe Initiatives Division that allowed them to experience a variety of modern and traditional Anishinaabe activities from stone carving and trapping to fashion and technology.
For more information, visit http://www.algomau.ca and click on the News tab.
Greening the Forest City at Thames Valley District School Board
Over the past winter and spring, students in the Thames Valley DSB have been participating in the School Community Tree Challenge, a program aimed at making school grounds and communities greener. Sixteen schools, mostly London elementary schools, grew 3,500 seedlings that were supplied by a consortium of area organizations, including the Thames Valley District School Board, the London District Catholic School Board and ReForest London. The seedlings are from a variety of native Ontario species; one of the goals of the project is for students to monitor and compare the different growth rates for each species. Some of the trees will be planted on school properties, others have been donated to community spaces and to neighbours. Each tree planted will also be registered with London’s Million Tree Challenge, a municipal initiative launched in 2011.
For more information, contact Erin Mutch, environmental education coordinator, Thames Valley District School Board, (519) 452-2000 ext. 20472 or e.mutch@tvdsb.on.ca, or Julie Ryan, director of programs, ReForest London, (519) 936-9548 ext. 221, or Julie@reforestlondon.ca.
Lambton Kent District School Board’s Student Author
Sophie Marvell, a 14-year-old student at Chatham-Kent Secondary School has recently published her first novel, The Girl Under Water. The fantasy novel began as a few chapters submitted to Quotev, (www.quotev.com) a website where young writers receive feedback from an online community. Encouraged by her work’s popularity on this forum, Sophie completed her novel, and with support and technical assistance from family and friends, released it on Amazon in February. Sophie is planning a sequel titled The Tattoo Princess. She also writes for her school’s online newspaper.
For more information, visit .