South Huron District High School music director Isaac Moore leads the senior concert band at MusicFest Canada in Ottawa

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

They’re the best percussion ensemble in Canada, and they’re right here in our backyard. Led by music director Isaac Moore and coach Dave Robilliard, South Huron District High School’s percussionists won the Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Section Award at this year’s MusicFest Canada national competition in Ottawa May 22; graduating student Jon Gill of Grand Bend, who is attending UWO for music in the fall, won the Zildjian Outstanding Percussionist Award. Judge and seminar leader Wayne Toews called the group the best student percussion ensemble in Canada, and could challenge any group in the world. If that’s the case, says Robilliard, it’s because the students are fully committed to success.
“We challenge our students in a way that other percussion ensembles I’ve seen in Canada are not challenged,” says Robilliard. “We give them – and they’ve requested – very difficult material that requires extra time and rehearsal on their time. It’s one of the best things (judge) Wayne Toews has seen in high school percussion ensembles, so in his eyes, it’s world class. It’s a very flattering statement.”
The accolades came hours after performing at the nationals; the percussionists performed last and earned a gold standard, while two other groups led by Moore and fellow teacher Matt Weston – the senior concert band and senior jazz bands – performed earlier the same day, each earning the silver award.
“A lot of kids in the music program are goal-oriented students,” says Moore, “and they respond well to having a goal. Whether we go to nationals or regionals, that goal is one of the things that motivate them to continue to get better. MusicFest Canada is on a different level because you have 10,000 kids from across Canada who are passionate about music. Something really special gets created when you put them together in the same place.”
To compete at nationals, the bands had to earn either gold or high silver with invitation at the regional competition in London. When the nationals are held in Ottawa, South Huron finds it convenient to attend, and a great experience as well.
“Ottawa is a great place to play, and the National Arts Centre is one of the best concert halls in the country, as it should be,” Moore says. “The experience of playing in that building and hearing other bands in that building, it’s incredible for them. It’s probably something a lot of them won’t have the opportunity to do again, so it’s important for me that every student experience the nationals if possible.”
During the years when the competition is not in Ottawa, Moore and Weston take the music students on non-MusicFest trips, including last year’s trip to Chicago. It’s part of Moore’s mission to give a rounded music education.
“A teacher I had while at university asked, are you giving your students a fantastic four-year band program, or are you giving your students a fantastic band program for four years, as in the same program for four years,” he says.
“A lot of what we do is based on routine and tradition, and it called into question for me how you maintain tradition and routine, but also offer the kids a different experience over the four years they are here. It opened my mind to the different options of where kids can go and what they can learn. In the four years you’ve got, you can do a lot.”
This year’s trip to the nationals was the second for Robilliard, whose father Bob was music director at South Huron for many years. After returning to Canada from graduate school in Oklahoma, Dave Robilliard joined Moore and Weston – the three studied percussion together at UWO – three years ago to lighten their load.
“I am able to focus on techniques and sound concepts that Isaac and Matt can’t focus on in the large classroom or band settings,” says Robilliard, who, unlike education majors Moore and Weston, pursued performance at university. He now works with the Stratford and International Symphonies, serves as a substitute for the Kitchener and Windsor Symphonies, and performs in a percussion group called DuO. His contribution has led to great success for the students.
“We received a gold standard in 2008,” he says, “which was my first year working with percussion ensemble. There was still a large number of carryover of students this year – Jon Gill, Joe Pavkeje and Jeff Penn – and we won gold again. But we don’t do it for the awards. We want to see students grow as musicians and see their confidence grow on stage.”
While South Huron has a full trophy case – and that’s just from this year – Moore agrees that they’re not looking for pats on the back.
“The real measure of success is how we feel about our performances when we’re done. I measure our success as a teacher how we fare when we compete at a higher level (the 2008 bronze winning senior concert band competed in a higher bracket this year and earned silver). If we were not taking the kids to an uncomfortable place, it would be an exercise in self-confidence. It makes more sense to shoot a little beyond where you might be so you can develop.”
The success can be attributed to the approach of the teachers, and the commitment of the students.
“It’s a lot of practice, a lot of one-on-one with your section and Mr. Moore,” says graduating student Trish Pavkeje, who performed in the concert and jazz bands. “It helps that Mr. Moore and Mr. Weston are easy to talk to. It’s easy to ask them for help.”
“Everyone’s on the same level and enjoys being there with everyone else,” says Joe Pavkeje, a member of all three groups, winner of the national honour award for the jazz band, and SHDHS student of the year. “Our school isn’t segregated into athletic kids and music kids. Everyone is doing everything. It feels cohesive for that reason.”
Clarinet player Stephanie Pratt agrees.
“Kids from all over the school are in this, so you get a sense of diversity,” Pratt says, noting music is attractive because of the lessons you learn. “Self-discipline is important, you learn a lot of patience and togetherness.”
For Stephen Mills, who has experienced bullying at school, the inclusivity makes the music room a refuge.
“We have to work together to do anything in the band,” Mills says. “We all have to talk to each other, and when you have to talk to someone, you appreciate them for who they are.”
And that’s exactly what Isaac Moore wants to hear.
“If a student is willing to commit themselves to the educational experience, we try not to discriminate in any way. Students can find their place in the band based on their strengths and weaknesses. Without your strong players and weaker players, you can’t maintain consistency. Eventually the weak players become strong and take over the leadership roles.”
Now that many members of the successful bands are graduating, Moore, Weston and Robilliard look to the future.
“We take it year by year,” Robilliard says. “The younger students will now have an opportunity to succeed at a higher level than they’ve had in the past. We’re going to do a lot of different pieces in different styles, and give everyone an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Percussionist Jon Gill performs at MusicFest Canada

Jon Gill (right) of Grand Bend is a member of the 2010 Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Ensemble of the year (below), and winner of the Zildjian Outstanding Percussionist Award.

As told to Casey Lessard
Photos by Casey Lessard

When we won in 2008, it was the first time in six or seven years that any of our bands had earned gold at nationals. It wasn’t a tradition before, but over four years, we’ve earned seven golds at eight festivals. It’s a legacy of excellence at South Huron.
I still can’t believe it (the individual award). I know a couple of guys who have won it before, and I look up to them as amazing people who I want to be half as good as they are. To be compared to them on a national level, it’s mind-blowing for me.
I wanted to start playing drums in Grade 4, but my parents wouldn’t let me. They got me started on bass guitar, and then I came here to the high school. Mr. (Bob) Robilliard recognized that I had a sense of rhythm, so he gave me a pair of drumsticks and stuck me in the percussion ensemble. It really caught on and I really enjoyed playing. I bought my own drum kit and I started playing a lot.
A lot of us take lessons from Dave Robilliard, and he’s taken that percussion ensemble further than we could have imagined.
I don’t think we could do it without the help of dedicated professionals. It just gives us the real world experience and the ability to go beyond just playing. I’m hoping to be a high school music teacher (attending UWO in the fall), and I want to give back to students what my teachers have given to me.

Jolene Unwin of Crediton died October 9, 2007 after the car she was driving rolled on the gravel road near her home. She was a month shy of her 20th birthday. To remember Jolene, Jim and Donna Unwin organize an annual hockey game involving family, friends and the London Devilettes, a team she was about to start playing hockey with before her death.
This year’s game was held March 27 at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter. Funds raised this year go to the Critical Care Unit at the London Health Sciences Centre, where Jolene spent her last moments.

As told to Casey Lessard
Game photos by Casey Lessard

Donna: She was almost born on Friday the 13th. She would stay up late at night, wouldn’t go to bed even when she was a baby. She’d be up in the morning at six o’clock when Jim would go to work. She just never wanted to miss anything.

Before she played hockey, she was a member of the Exeter Starlights Baton for two or three years, and she also played baseball. When she was in Grade 8, that summer she said, “I’m going to play hockey next year and I’m going to be a goalie.” Sure enough, they didn’t have one, so that’s when she started playing hockey and went into net.
Jim: I coached her for three years. I liked to see her play hockey because she always played road hockey out here with the boys, and she was the goalie. I tried to get her to use her glove hand a lot. I’d fire tennis balls at her all the time. The first year she played goal, she was voted to go to the all-star game.
Donna: With the hockey, because of her size, the first time she was skating around against Parkhill, the girls commented that the net was taller than the goalie. But she surprised them all.

As she was going through school, she was an artist right from the start. She was always drawing stuff or making stuff. She made her own doll outfits. As she got older, I don’t think she ever went anywhere without her sketchpad. That’s why we’ve got all these pictures here. If she got depressed, she would draw a picture and that would help her out.

Finding her way
Donna: She had just got her license in June, just before she started her course at Fanshawe College. She had taken a year off school and was here all the time. When we were away, she did a lot of cutting grass and taking care of the house. She’d help the boys with their homework if they needed it. It was weird to have her out of the house.
Jim: I didn’t want her moving to London, but it was nice for her to move on.
Donna: And she moved in with friends, two of them her best friends. It wasn’t like she was going off to be with people she didn’t know.
She came home on Thanksgiving Saturday and picked up Jacob to bring him up to Kincardine, to our place up there. My mom and dad, and aunt and uncle were there and we had Thanksgiving there. Jacob had a project, so she brought him home on Sunday and took him into town to a friend’s place.
For some reason, she came back here rather than going straight back to London. She lost control of the car on the gravel road. It was freshly laid gravel. They had just done it the past week. When Jacob come home from where he was doing his homework, that’s when we found out about it.

As soon as the police called us, all they said was we had to get to London. The hospital called and said we had to get there right away. They wouldn’t say anything about her condition. The police told us they don’t condone speeding, but we should get there as fast as we could. You have a feeling when they say that, that there’s something terribly wrong.

Jim drove and I was calling everyone so my mind wasn’t dwelling on what was going on. When we got to the hospital and they told us, it was very, very hard.
They were asking us to do organ donations. We decided to do that, and at about 11:30, they tested her and her brain was still alive, so they kept her on life support. Then at about three o’clock, she had no blood pressure and I heard one of the nurses in back say that if that keeps up, the organs won’t be any good. So we decided then to shut the machine off and there was no use to put her through any more. It was hard to do.
We turned the machine off and watched her pass away. I spent a little time with her and we came home. One of the longest days of our lives.
Jim: It still hurts. I go talk to her every day at the cemetery in Crediton. Every day.
Donna: We still struggle with it, even now. It’s going to take us a long time to get over it.
You just go a day at a time. That’s why we do this game to keep her memory going. Her friends have been a good support. I don’t really remember a lot of it because you go through on autopilot. It gets a little easier, but not much. There’s always things you know you’re not going to be able to do.
I don’t think she would want us to dwell on it. She would want us to get over it. But that’s not the way things are. I know she wouldn’t want us to be upset about it all the time. But it’s not that easy.

This year’s game raised about $6,000 for the LHSC Critical Care Unit. Jim would like to see the game grow to include a match with former NHL players. In addition to this fundraiser, Jim’s employer donates money for a scholarship in Jolene’s memory to help students interested in art or sports who need financial assistance to attend school.

High School Musical
Presented by Drayton Entertainment
Huron Country Playhouse
May 19 to 30
Tickets: $39 for adults, $20 for under 18
Box office: 1-888-449-4463

Photos and story by Casey Lessard

Aiming for fame, more than 100 teenagers joined auditions in Exeter and Guelph for Drayton Entertainment’s summer presentation of Disney’s High School Musical, which runs at the Huron Country Playhouse May 19 to 30. After a weekend of auditions, including a full Sunday at South Huron District High School, 80 actors were chosen to join the P.E.P. Squad, the play’s chorus.
“I saw it in the paper and right away I knew that it was something I had to do,” said Alicia Veens, 16, a student at North Lambton Secondary School in Forest. “I love the play a lot, and I love to sing. I love to dance, even though I’m not very good.”
Veens and the rest of the teens had to show their abilities in both areas. Director and choreographer David Connolly and dance captain Michelle Black taught the audition attendees one of the routines those selected will be performing in the play, “We’re All In This Together”.
“It was nerve-wracking,” said Viktor Coletta, a South Huron student from Parkhill. “I was scared out of my mind. I wasn’t expecting what they did. I felt better when we were in groups, but I think I did pretty good.”
The Drayton team acknowledges the fear auditionees have. After all, for some, this is their first time trying out for a professional role.
“We had kids coming to the door, still not convinced of whether they were going to do it at all,” Michelle Black said. “Still thinking it over and they got here. The fact is, they got the courage to learn the material and present at the end.”
The process is not new for Grand Bend’s Meaghan Forrester. She was in the chorus of last season’s Oliver!
“With my Oliver! audition, I screwed up, too, and let my performance suffer,” Forrester said. “This one I screwed up, but I felt my performance was better. You miss a step or have to catch up.
“I hope I get in, but if I don’t, I’m applying to university and those auditions need work,” she added. “If I do get in, I plan to work a lot harder than I did on Oliver!, because we had a lot more time and it was less complicated. This will be less time and more complicated.”
It seems Forrester impressed Connolly and Black; she was among those chosen to join the squad for eight performances this summer. But Connolly understands the pressure the audition process puts on a new performer.
“These kids are making courageous choices to be here,” he said. “For some, it’s an obvious choice; their parents support them and they drove them and it was a no-brainer. There are others who moved mountains to get into that room. When you know what an audition is, it’s scary enough, but they don’t even know what an audition is and they’re walking into a room to put it all on the line.”
Alicia Bradley, 17, of London put it on the line. The Central Secondary School student, who spends summers at a cottage in Grand Bend, has experience at the Grand Theatre in London, where she was a pianist. She was hoping to move from the orchestra pit to the stage.
“I love to dance and sing, Bradley said. “I want to go into theatre at university, but I didn’t realize that until last year, so I’m trying to get my show experience now. I have a couple of auditions at Ryerson, York and U of T. I’m a dancer, so I thought this would be a good chance to get on stage.”
Unfortunately, Bradley is not among those who will be on the Playhouse stage this summer. Neither will Beth Smallman, a South Huron student new to professional theatre.
“I want to go into acting after high school,” Smallman said. “This was my first audition. I’ve been in a lot of drama things through school. I wanted to see what an audition is like and see whether I get it.”
No matter, though. It was a worthy experience for the teen.
“It went really well,” she said. “I learned a lot. I tried my hardest and it was a lot of fun.”
That’s the kind of attitude David Connolly was looking for, even if it didn’t translate into a position with the cast. The overwhelming desire to succeed reminds Connolly of his early theatre years.
“My first big audition was for Alan Lund at Kitchener-Waterloo Musical Productions. I had done some dancing with dance studios and competed a little, but Alan Lund was standing in front of me with Cynthia Toushan Brnjas, who was his assistant, and I didn’t even know that choreographers had assistants. I remember being in awe of that. I must have been so bad and awkward. But we’re looking for passion, someone who can’t think of anything else they’d rather do, and I must have had that.”
It’s all about perspective, Michelle Black said.
“If they did it again, it’s less of an audition and more of a workshop on life. Every time I spend time with David, I learn a little more about myself. Today, if they don’t get the show, the confidence they’ll get from being in the room with him is huge.”
And it’s not for everyone.
“We had a girl yesterday break down in the middle and say, ‘I can’t do this,’” Black said. “You can see that, for some of them, it’s terrifying.”
It wasn’t a problem for Virginia Iredale of Exeter, who earned a spot on the squad.
“The hardest part is keeping it all together,” the Grade 10 student said. “I don’t get embarrassed on stage. The easiest part was coming. I just decided, I’m going, my mom will bring me. Then it’s like, I’m here, guess I get to do it now.”
Family support is important, and makes the process easier.
“My mom made me (audition),” said Viktor Coletta. “I did this in London with Original Kids. I was Zeke Baylor, the cook. It’s a fun show, a lot of energetic people.”
Alicia Veens came wearing a shirt that reads Born to be Famous.
“My grandma bought me this shirt,” Veens said. “She loves what I do and hopes for the best for me. I want to be famous really bad.”
And she knows what it takes to get there.
“If you have it, you have it. You don’t have to be good looking, as long as you have the talent and believe in yourself.”
Words David Connolly might argue were taken right out of his mouth. He hopes some kids discovered this about themselves during the audition process.
“You can tell somebody they’re great, but that will never replace them feeling that they did it themselves,” he said. “That moment of doing it for themselves will stay with them.”
Veens walked away wanting the moment to last.
“I would love to get a letter in the mail saying I’ve made it. I’ve always wanted to be in a play like this.”
“I’d like to see all the good people get it,” added Virginia Iredale. “I will definitely go see it now because it looks like fun.”
No need to buy a ticket, Virginia, because you and Alicia are in it. Veens and Iredale were both added to the P.E.P. Squad roster. And yes, High School Musical looks like fun. To see it for yourself, visit http://www.draytonentertainment.com

Just a brief mention that South Huron District High School is hosting a Grade 8 night Wednesday, January 13 (snow date Jan. 14). The event takes place at 6:45 p.m. in the large gym.

SHDHS receives $10,000 CARAS instrument grant

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

Music students at South Huron District High School are blowing new horns after the school’s music program received a $10,000 equipment grant from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS).
“You’d be surprised how much equipment costs,” says music director Isaac Moore. “We were able to refresh every section a little bit and that helps us out in terms of the longevity of the program’s equipment in general. We got three flutes, three clarinets, three trumpets, three trombones, one new baritone, one tenor sax and two alto saxes.”
Close to 70 senior band members use a school instrument, and the intermediate band adds more users, so the need for decent equipment is high.
“Having one that works well makes a huge difference,” says saxophonist Trish Pavjeke, who uses her own instrument. “Some of the older saxophones are gross. They’ve been used for 100 years. The keys stick and the necks swivel back and forth. I’ve tried the new ones and they’re really nice. They work perfectly.”
While Pavjeke’s 100 year estimate is a bit off, former music teacher Bob Robilliard says some of the equipment was due.
“When I first came here, the equipment was one year old,” Robilliard says, noting the program started in 1986. “Most of that equipment is still here and still being used. Most school line equipment has a life of 25 years. It gets a lot of use.”
CARAS issued 60 MusiCounts Band Aid grants across Canada in 2009, and South Huron is one of the only rural schools in Ontario receiving the grant. Letters of support from the community were key to getting the grant on the first attempt, Moore says, noting some schools try many times unsuccessfully.
“It came around at a nice time for us,” he says. “The instruments have been heavily used. I wasn’t sure how we would pay for new ones. Having good equipment for the kids to play is really motivating. Without this, I’d have to build a case to the board, which has been very supportive of us, but its budget is finite like ours.”
As a result of the grant, some of the school’s older equipment will be transferred to another school in the board.
The band showed off the equipment for the first time at this weekend’s school concert, but Moore suggests the audience may not see a noticeable difference in sound, but it certainly makes playing easier.
“It’s like buying a new car. It’s not like it takes you anywhere faster, but it’s a more enjoyable experience and lasts longer. Eventually things need to be replaced. Plus, the older it is, the more you have to put into repair, so that will save us a lot.”
And while the actual sound may be the same, music council president Joe Pavjeke thinks the musicians will sound better because they’ll have more confidence.
“It’s like we’re getting recognized for our work. The students notice that. It shows that what we’re doing is a big deal.”

South Huron DHS’ cafeteria operator reflects on turning 80 and the funeral celebration she wanted to be alive to see

Jennie Rowe on her 80th birthday

As told to Casey Lessard

I have always worked where there has been food. Beaver Foods had the service here (at South Huron) and when I went to apply for the job, someone called me and told me that they thought this would be the job for me. I went to see this guy, and he was a tyrant. I thought, I can’t work for this guy.
But by the end of that school term, the board came to me and asked me if I would take it on and I said yes. At that time, I did work for the board, but after about a year, the board wanted to walk away from it, and they said it was mine. It became my own enterprise. We didn’t even have a contract; it was just by word of mouth back then.
Ten years ago, the board came and said that all of the contractors had to buy what was in the kitchen, and I said I wasn’t afraid to buy. Everything in the kitchen belongs to me, and it’s my little corner in the school.
I’ve only had a contract with the board for the last ten years, and it’s renewed every five years. It runs out this August. I talked to one of the other contractors and we haven’t heard what’s going to happen. But I’m not going to let them take it away from me. If they have to buy everything in the kitchen, I’m going to price it so high that nobody will want to buy it.
I don’t do it for fame or glory. This is my life. One time I realized that I could cook anywhere. I can’t meet these kids otherwise. So it’s basically all about the kids. And I have had the most amazing employees. Whether they were students or grown women, they have made me what I am today.

Jennie Rowe on her 80th birthday

Despite the fact that I’m 80 and people ask me when I’m going to retire, well, I’m widowed now and what do you do? What would I do if I retired? I think I’d be totally lost without it. Anyone that can work should, if your health is good and you’re in a position that you can. I feel too vibrant yet to want to go home and sit on the back deck. Because I live such a busy life, I don’t bowl, I don’t golf, I don’t curl. What do I have left?
When you look at the people in the Villa or the hospital, they get stuck there. It’s not that family doesn’t love you, but they’re busy with their lives. Kids move on.

Jennie Rowe on her 80th birthday

My husband Elmer died four years ago of a heart attack. He was 76. He always said, “Jennie, when I die, don’t have a flowery splash. Tell people to come in their work clothes and just have a good time.” Elmer liked his Scotch, so he said to line up a bar full of Scotch and everybody had to have one drink of Scotch on Elmer.
We had it at our farm and people were told to dress casual. Some came dressed up. My kids came in shorts and sandals because it was the 15th of June. Our son Jeff got up and spoke, and people said the comments he made about his dad sounded more like he was roasting him. I said, Then you didn’t know Elmer, because that’s exactly what he would have expected. But he wasn’t there to celebrate.
When you die, they always say they’re going to celebrate your life, but you’re not there anymore. You’re gone. I decided that after making all the arrangements for my funeral and for celebrating Jennie’s life, I decided I wanted to be part of it. I wanted a great big tent open to whoever wants to come, there would be loud music playing (ABBA), there would be an abundance of good food to snack on, and just lots of love and friendship. I wanted to be part of that. Not a dead body.
A one day deal turned into three days. It was lucky that my birthday was on a Friday. If they had done this when I died, I wouldn’t have gotten to enjoy it. I highly recommend this. Think about it. I said to my kids, when I die, bury me. That’s all. This is my day in the sun.

South Huron District High School’s music department spent four days from May 13-16 in Chicago as part of an experimental type of band trip. The Strip’s Casey Lessard tagged along.

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

“Two years ago in Cleveland, I met Benjamin Washington by happenstance,” says South Huron music teacher and band director Isaac Moore, speaking of Chicago King College Prep High School’s band director. “He needed a bass amp and I needed a trumpet, so we ended up talking and exchanging instruments for an hour or so. Because of that, we ended up talking about where each of us was from and how neat it would be if we tried to do something together. ”
Each year, South Huron’s music department takes a trip, but most of the recent trips have been for competitions.
“We could have done that again this year. But I wanted to give the kids a varied experience; we had never gone to Chicago, and a lot of kids were interested in going there.”
Sixty-six members of the band joined the trip, along with eight chaperones. The visit to America’s third largest city included sightseeing, a trip to the famed Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Sears Tower, and lots of music. The band performed all day its second day, starting with a master class at a college for music teachers, followed by a jazz combo performance at Buddy Guy’s Legends bar. Then it was off to King College Prep for an afternoon and evening collaboration, which started with watching the one of the city’s best marching bands practise.
“Our marching band is everywhere, winning competitions,” says Benjamin Washington. “We’re like the Soul Train of Chicago. Just last year, we opened for the Stone Temple Pilots concert, Wynton Marsalis dropped by and played with us here. [U.S. President Obama’s house] is about three or four blocks from here. Marching around in the summer time, we would pass by it. I didn’t even know he lived there until the presidential election.”
Whether Obama ever noticed King’s marching band or not, percussionist Joe Pavkeje of Exeter found it valuable to see how King’s musicians perform, bobbing their heads while playing.
“It showed we could be doing a lot of things we’re not doing. Not that we’re not doing enough, but they have a different style that I thought was interesting. They really got into their music, which helps them with their stage presence. It makes them sound better. If they’re more into it, it makes it more enjoyable for everybody.”
While Pavkeje noticed the contrasts, Moore hopes he also noticed the similarities.
“We often think these major cities are better than what we’re doing here. Rural schools are have not and city schools are have. It shows the kids how special this school is and gives them perspective on how great they’re doing and how wonderful the music they’re doing is.”
Kristy Pavkeje is thankful for the experience, and knows who should get the credit.
“It’s a really high quality program. If you look around (elsewhere in our region), we seem to be more dedicated or something. A lot of that is due to Mr. Moore. He knows how to get the most out of this program for us. With the SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) program (in Arts & Culture), it looks good when you go to university or college, and he worked hard to get it at the school.”
For Moore’s part, he notes he couldn’t pull it off without the overwhelming support of the community.
“The community is so, so important to what we’re doing here. They support our concerts to show our kids that what they’re doing is important. The fact that we have this extremely supportive community and excellent tradition of music at this school, it’s a machine that doesn’t seem to stop. Every day I come here, I don’t know who I’m thanking, but I’m thanking someone.”
Moore is eager to show the music program’s supporters what King College Prep is doing, and hopes Washington is able to bring his students to Exeter next year.
“Having the opportunity to see their marching band and the enthusiasm they have for music, it was infectious. Our kids loved watching their band perform, and this community would love seeing it, too. It’s really fun to watch.”
Washington is on board, too, and hopes it can happen.
“It gives the kids the opportunity to see children from other areas and see we’re doing the same thing,” he says. “I’m sure Mr. Moore is saying the same things: you’ve got to practise, you’ve got to listen, you’ve got to watch the rhythms. It gives the children a chance to see that what I’m trying to provide for them is what others are trying to do as well.”
Looking back on the trip, Moore hopes his students got enough time to interact with their Chicago counterparts.
“The students said the best part of the trip was socializing with students from the other school, and you can’t plan that. It would have been nice to have more time for that. It’s through that social bond that they see that we’re doing the same things here.”

Kevin Mills, principal
South Huron District High School

Experience: 21st year in education; Mitchell (teacher), St. Mary’s (teacher) Seaforth (vice principal), St. Mary’s (principal for last seven years)
Home: St. Mary’s
Family: Three daughters

Personal tidbits:
“When I was transferred to South Huron, my oldest girl was ecstatic because she was heading into high school and I would no longer be working at the school she would be attending.
“I like playing baseball and hockey. As a family, we camp, we bike and hike.”

Looking forward to:
“Learning more about the community and seeing what makes Exeter tick. Helping students achieve success.”

Trends:
“Students have more opportunities in curricular and extra-curricular activities. Students have to be in school until they’re 18, and that’s helpful because many of them don’t mature until they’re 16 or 17 and realize the benefit of being in school. And the third thrust is participation in a high-skills major; South Huron will now offer high-skills majors in transportation and arts and culture. Students have to get required credits and co-op credits, as well as English and some certifications, such as WHMIS and first aid.”

New this year:
Activity period at the end of the day. “It will allow students to get involved in clubs and athletics, which helps improve marks, and for those kids who are struggling, there is an extra half hour for them to get extra help from a teacher. School ends at 2:50, so some kids working in town will change their work hours to start at 3:00 instead.”

To students:
“I always tell the kids my philosophy is three-fold: To take pride in what they’re doing, to promote excellence, and to create positive memories of school. If we can do all three, we’ve been successful.”

To parents:
“I’m an open person, so if they have concerns I’m willing to listen to them.”

New school year ushers in big changes, including one for this principal

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

Once again the summer has flown by and it is time to get ready to return to school. The custodial staff at South Huron has been working diligently throughout the summer and the school is shiny and clean, in great shape for the arrival of the students on September 2. The only major change to the building has been an upgrade of the boiler system, which is ongoing, but should be completed well before the arrival of cold weather.
The first day of school will begin with an assembly in the large gym, after which students will report to their first period classes. Class lists for first period classes will be posted in various locations on the main floor, and students are asked to check these lists prior to the assembly so that they know where to go when they are dismissed from the assembly. Grade Nine students will be held back at the end of the assembly and escorted to their first period classes by their teachers.
In first period students will receive several items: a planner, a student information sheet, a copy of their timetable, and an insurance form. They are asked to take the information sheet home to be verified and signed by a parent, and they are asked to take the insurance form home as well. They will also be given their locker assignments in first period, and Grade Nine students will be able to purchase a lock from their first period teachers for $6.00. Students in Grades 10 – 12 who need a new lock may purchase one in the main office. The locks we sell cost a little more than those available in stores but we guarantee them and will replace them at no charge if they are defective. In addition, our locks have serial numbers that allow us to determine the combination if a student should happen to forget it, avoiding the necessity of having to cut the lock off.
First period teachers will also be collecting Student Council fees and yearbook money. The student fee will remain at $25 this year, but we have had to raise the price for a yearbook to $30 due to increased production costs. Students who wish to buy a yearbook are asked to order one as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
New staff members will be introduced at the opening day assembly, but there is one staff change that I would like to mention now. This will be my last column as principal of South Huron as I will be moving into the position of System Principal of Information Services for the Board, effective September 1. Kevin Mills, who has been principal of St. Marys DCVI for the last seven years, will take over as principal at SHDHS. Kevin and I have been colleagues and good friends for the last eight years, and I know that he will do a great job.
I have greatly enjoyed the last seven years and would like to thank the students, staff, and community for the wonderful support they have shown me. The decision to leave South Huron was a very difficult one for me, and I will miss the school tremendously. I have told Mr. Mills that he is moving into a great school, and I am sure that he will enjoy the same level of support that I have received for the last seven years. Though I will no longer be at the school, the Panther spirit will remain with me.

The inevitable day has arrived.
I had hoped I would be able to continue to provide the Grand Bend Strip newspaper for free indefinitely, but after thinking long and hard this spring, I realize that the only way for the paper to publish this winter is to ask for your support.
Like you, I value the ability to learn more about the people who live and work in this community. I love meeting you and capturing your memories for the paper. This is what I feel I can bring to this community, and I want to stay here.
I also feel it’s important to bring to light some of the problems that exist here, and the challenges we face in this community. I’m willing to put the work into creating quality journalism here, but I can’t do it alone.
The Strip will continue to be free until the end of the summer, which on most people’s calendar is the Thanksgiving weekend. After that, it will be available only to Strip Club VIP members. Even the website will be restricted to VIPs. I have yet to decide whether the exclusivity will continue next summer.
I promise to make membership worthwhile, and hope you will contribute to surveys to improve the paper, and take advantage of special offers from our advertising clients.
For more information about club membership, please see our subscription page.

All 1980s grads invited to August 2 reunion

If you attended South Huron District High School during the 1980s, you’re invited to attend a reunion August 2 at the South Huron Recreation Centre.
Tickets are $25, and are on sale at Movie Gallery in Exeter, or by contacting Tim Rowcliffe (timaro -at – yahoo.com). Luncheon will be provided and entertainment is courtesy of Jane’s Rehab. Proceeds from the event are going to Scott and Denise Halpenny to assist in her treatment for MS.
If you attended South Huron and graduated from 1981-1992, we’d love to see you!

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Prom 1545

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Lauren Haberer of Zurich and Marcus Haccius of Shipka were named South Huron District High School’s 2008 Students of the Year at the June 6 prom, held at the school’s small gym. For more about the winners and nominees, see:

Katie Anderson
Lauren Haberer
Janita Pfaff
Carly Schroeder

Dimitris Fragiskatos
Marcus Haccius
Bryce Halpenny
Kurt Van Osch

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students of the Year 1468

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Kurt Van Osch
Parents: Gerald and Lori Van Osch, outside of Mt. Carmel
Nickname: Van O
Known for: Sports. That’s about all I’m known for.
Fall 2008: Guelph for Business Agriculture
Most Memorable Moment: OFSAA hockey championships in Ottawa this year. Just being in the hotel with my friends and playing my favourite sport.
Most Embarrassing Moment: Grade 9. I was walking with all the Grade 12s and I dropped my book and all my papers fell out. Having the Grade 12s look down on you is pretty embarrassing.
Regret: Not focusing on school enough, but I still got into the program I wanted.
Thank you: to my parents for sure, all my friends and all my teachers. I’ve had good teachers for every class.
Sorry to: my English teachers; I feel sorry for them having to mark my papers all the time.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students of the Year 1075

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Bryce Halpenny
Parents: Scott and Denise Halpenny of Exeter
Nickname: B-Rice, Brizzo, Bryzness
Known for: Volleyball. It’s my passion.
Fall 2008: UWO for Engineering
Most Memorable Moment: The last game of WOSSAA volleyball. It was a bad day, we got last, but it was also one of our best days because it was one of the best games we played.
Most Embarrassing Moment: Too many things to list. I do a lot of things people find embarrassing, but I’m used to it.
Regret: I wish I had done more than sports.
Thank you: to my best friend Marcus, who made my year a lot better. I’d also like to thank Miss Bowers, Miss Migchels and Miss Hawley. Those three teachers were my favourite this year. And my family. My mom has helped me through a lot.
Sorry to: my dad. He doesn’t want me to leave.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students of the Year 1107

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Marcus Haccius
Parents: Hubertus and Linda Haccius of Shipka
Nickname: Man, Chocolate, Coconut, Tiny
Known for: Announcement guy, and drama
Fall 2008: Beal for Musical Theatre
Most Memorable Moment: In Grade 10 I belly danced in front of the whole school.
Most Embarrassing Moment: Belly dancing in Grade 10. Comedy night in Grade 11, but also one of the most memorable. I just did the roles no one else wanted to do. Screwing up lines in Our Town and trying to make it sound like they actually said those things in 1901.
Thank you: to my parents and family and friends. All my classmates and the community for supporting our events.
Sorry to: all those people for being myself.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students Of The Year 1358

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Dimitris Fragiskatos
Parents: Nick and Jane Fragiskatos of Hensall
Nickname: Frag
Known for: Being loud, throwing high fives, sports
Fall 2008: Fanshawe for Construction Engineering
Most Memorable Moment: WOSSAA soccer, or the windshield incident with Kevin Ha. I can’t tell you about that.
Most Embarrassing Moment: Getting ketchup and mustard on my tie at formal, just now.
Regrets?: No. I was happy with everything.
Thanks to: everyone for being there with me to have a good time. I really had a good time at high school.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students of the Year 1081

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Carly Schroeder
Parents: Steve and Brenda Schroeder of Dashwood
Nickname: Schroeds. Some people call me Car because they’re too lazy to say my whole name. It’s only two syllables!
Known for: Music
Fall 2008: UWO for Music
Most Memorable Moment: Grade 10 music trip, and this year, being part of the National Concert Band.
Most Embarrassing Moment: We were playing field hockey and my stick got caught, and my skirt ripped off, but they were in our end, so I still had to be defense and hold my skirt up. It was difficult.
Regret: Not taking tech in Grade 9. It looked like fun and everyone got to make things.
Thank you: to everyone. Family, coaches, especially Jim Workman, and my music teachers.
Sorry to: Mr. Moore. And my family. I’ve been a pain over the years.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students of the Year 1057

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Janita Pfaff
Parents: Dennis and Marian, outside of Crediton
Nickname: Juanita, JP, Jan-Jan
Known for: Thinking outside of the box
Fall 2008: UWO-Fanshawe for Collaborative Nursing
Most Memorable Moment: Field hockey this year. The final game that we played against Goderich is the most memorable, but it’s not pleasant. We lost by one goal and it was a penalty stroke and no one knows what it was called for. It haunts my dreams.
Most Embarrassing Moment: All my moments are embarrassing.
Thanks to: peers, coaches, teachers, staff. Jim Workman has been a big influence. Miss Jantzi and Ms. Burrell.
Sorry to: mom and dad. We’ve had some highs and lows. Just the whole growing up thing.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Students of the Year 1090

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Lauren Haberer
Parents: Steve and Michele Haberer of Zurich
Nickname: Low
Known for: Good Marks
Fall 2008: Ottawa for Political Science
Most Embarrassing Moment: We were out for lunch, the badminton team after WOSSAA, and our coach ordered 20 chicken wings. We were like, “You can eat 20 chicken wings, that’s a lot.” He said, “Man, I could eat 40 back in my day. I said, Think of all the chickens that is. That’s like 80 chickens.” Everybody stopped and said, “Uh? Does a chicken have half a wing or what?”
Regret: Not playing volleyball every year. I only played in Grade 10 and 12, and I wish I had played every year.
Thank you: to all my teachers, coaches, friends and family.

2008 SHDHS Student of the Year nominee Katie Anderson

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Katie Anderson
Parents: Ron and Frances Anderson of Exeter
Nickname: Katie, Kathleen, Katelyn
Known for: Running
Fall 2008: McMaster for Science
Most Memorable Moment: In Grade 10, our music trip to Ottawa. The whole band went and there were only a couple of Grade 10s in the concert band, so they rented a huge coach bus but there wasn’t enough seats, so all the Grade 10s had to go in this little van, and Loughlin threw up in the little van. The driver was crazy. And they all made this huge joke that the Grade 10s were treated unfairly.
In 10 years I will be… hoping to get my G2.
Thank you: to everyone.
Sorry to: Mr. Moore for always showing up late. I live basically beside the school and I’m never on time for band practice.

South Huron District High School hosts its annual Art & Design show Tuesday June 10 to Friday June 13 in the small gymnasium. The show starts Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., continues Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Friday until noon.
Admission is free, but donations to MS Research will be gratefully accepted. This exhibition will feature a wide variety of creative projects from the Visual Arts, Communications Tech, Construction Tech and Manufacturing Tech classes.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn
http://www.shdhs.ca

I would like to start this week’s column by commending all of the students who attended this year’s Formal for their very good behaviour at the dance. As I had indicated in my columns over the last two weeks, we did do a breathalyzer test on each person who attended the Formal. I am very pleased to report that we did not have to turn anyone away, and the evening went very well indeed although it was swelteringly hot in the small gym. I would like to thank Ms. Black, Ms. Magill and the Formal Committee for their hard work in organizing the dance and decorating the gym for the evening’s festivities.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to Lauren Haberer and Marcus Haccius, who were voted by their peers as Students of the Year for 2007-08. The voting was very close this year, the closest in fact that I have seen in my seven years as principal, and as I said on Friday evening, any of the nominees would have been a good choice for this honour. So congratulations as well to the other nominees: Katie Anderson, Janita Pfaff, Carly Schroeder, Dimitris Fragiskatos, Bryce Halpenny, and Kurt Van Osch. Katie Anderson had an outstanding weekend, as the Formal took place between two races she ran in Hamilton at OFSAA, the provincial championships in track and field. On Friday afternoon, she placed fourth in the Senior Girls 1500 M race, and then she “raced” back to Exeter for the Formal. She returned to Hamilton on Saturday afternoon to run in the Senior Girls 3000 M race, finishing second and earning a silver medal. These are outstanding achievements, a great way to finish off her high school track and field career. Congratulations, Katie, on these incredible accomplishments.
Katie’s performance and the performances of all of our athletes will be recognized at our annual Athletic Awards Assembly, this Thursday morning. The assembly will take place at the beginning of the day, but contrary to what some students will try to tell their parents, it will not last the whole day. The exact times for classes have not yet been determined, but we will be running all five periods following the assembly. This is a very important time of year for students to be in class as we are working on final assessments and getting ready for exams: so, if your son or daughter tries to convince you that there are no classes on Thursday, please let them know that I have told you otherwise. Besides, we do feel that it is important to recognize the hard work of our student athletes, and we would like everyone to attend the assembly.
On Friday evening, we will be holding our annual Relay for Life to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Once again, students, staff, parents, and community members will be walking the track from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. in support of this very worthy cause. The event will open with the traditional Survivors’ Victory Lap and once again the track will be lighted by luminaries, candles placed in paper bags in memory of loved ones who have lost the battle with cancer. We encourage you to support this event by sponsoring a walker and attending the opening ceremonies.
Finally, I would like to remind students and parents that exams begin on Thursday, June 19, and run until Tuesday, June 24. Students are advised that they should by now be preparing for these exams and working on any final assessments that have been assigned in class. Report cards will be available for pick up in the school office from July 2nd to 4th: reports that are not picked up by July 4th will be mailed out on July 7. Students need to ensure that all textbooks have been returned, and any outstanding library fines or fees have been paid prior to getting their report cards.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

The big event this week, of course, is the formal, which is being held on Friday evening in the small gym. The theme this year is “The Golden Age – Twist the Night Away,” and we are looking forward to having a very enjoyable evening. This is an annual rite of passage for the graduating students, as it is their last social gathering as students of this school. The next time that so many of them will be together at one time will be at Commencement in October. So this should be a night of friendship and camaraderie, a night to reminisce and reflect on their years as students of this school.
As part of the proceedings we will be recognizing the nominees for Student of the Year and honouring two of them, one female and one male, who have been selected by their peers as the recipients of this award. I mentioned their names last week, but would like to recognize them again. The nominees are: Katie Anderson, Lauren Haberer, Janita Pfaff, Carly Schroeder, Dimitris Fragiskatos, Marcus Haccius, Bryce Halpenny, and Kurt Van Osch.
The nominees this year are an outstanding group of students who are representative of all that is good about the students in this school. They are all good students and collectively they represent excellent academic achievement, outstanding athletic accomplishment, excellence in the performing arts, and significant student leadership. So, once again the graduating class has done an amazing job in choosing very worthy candidates for the honour of representing the graduating class. I would like to add my personal congratulations to these students and to thank them for all of their contributions to life at South Huron in the last four years.
These students will be recognized and the winners announced starting at 9:45 on Friday evening. The dance is ending earlier this year at the request of the Formal Committee, and so the presentations will occur much earlier than in past years. As always, parents, family, and friends are invited to join us for the presentation. The balcony will be open to provide a good opportunity to view the proceedings.
On a more serious note, I would like to remind all of the students who will be attending the formal of the importance of being responsible and looking out for one another. I indicated in last week’s column that all students attending the formal will go through a breathalyzer test before being admitted to the dance. This is a practice that we instituted a few years ago, primarily in response to the significant numbers of students who were coming to the formal after having consumed alcohol. Personally, I would rather not have to do the breathalyzer test, but I have an obligation to adhere to the Provincial Code of Conduct, which clearly states that students are not to attend school functions under the influence of alcohol. The breathalyzer test helps us to ensure that this is the case.
My greater concern, however, relates to the events that often follow the formal. Usually, it is a night of partying and, unfortunately, there are times when the partying leads to accidents and injuries. So, I will issue my annual plea to all those who are attending parties after the dance to be responsible, to look out for one another, and to help ensure that everyone returns to school safely on Monday morning. I encourage everyone to help us make this a night to remember for all the right reasons.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity once again to congratulate the ten track and field athletes who represented South Huron at the OFSAA West Regional Track and Field Championships in London last weekend. All of our athletes performed very well under some extremely difficult weather conditions, but I would like to recognize in particular the following athletes, who finished in the top ten: Justin Anstett in the Sr. Boys Javelin, Michelle Hall in the Midget Girls 800M and 3000M, Teri
Stuckless in Junior Girls Shot Put, Ezekiel McCarthy in the Junior Boys Discus and Javelin, Stephen Runhart in the Midget Boys Javelin, John Macgregor in Midget Boys High Jump, and Katie Anderson in the Senior Girls 1500M and the 3000M. Congratulations to all of these athletes and their coaches: it is a very significant achievement to get to the OFSAA Regional meet, and all of our athletes should be commended for their efforts.
Katie Anderson finished third and second respectively in her events and will be moving on to represent SHDHS at the OFSAA Championships on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We congratulate Katie on these outstanding achievements, and wish her the best of luck in the provincial championships this weekend.

Addendum: The annual SHDHS Art & Design Show opens Tuesday, June 10 in our Small Gym at 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. It will run Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday, June 13 until noon. Admission is FREE but donations to MS Research will be gratefully accepted. This exhibition will feature a wide variety of creative projects from the Visual Arts, Communications Tech, Construction Tech and Manufacturing Tech classes.

Student of the Year nominees
Biographies and photographs submitted

Katie Anderson
Katie Anderson has had four memorable years at South Huron District High School.
Academically, Katie has been on the honor roll every year. This year as part of her biology class she was able to participate in the Envirothon, and after winning Huron Perth, went on with her team to take part in the provincial competition.
Katie joined the intermediate band in grade nine and has continued to play the tenor sax in the concert and black jazz bands, and wind ensemble. In grade ten she was able to travel with the band to Ottawa, and then to Cleveland in grade eleven.
This year Katie was co-head of SHDHS chapter of Habitat for Humanity. She helped put on two coffee houses, which allowed performers to showcase their talents and raise money for Habitat all at the same time.
Katie’s fondest memories of high school will be her participation in sports. For all of her four years, she was a member of the cross-country, soccer and track teams. This year, she placed sixth at OFSAA for cross-country and is heading to Hamilton this weekend for OFSAA track. In grade ten and twelve, Katie was also a member of the badminton team and placed third this year at Huron Perth in mixed doubles.
Next year Katie is heading to McMaster… where she will hopefully run faster, and pursue a career in science.

Dimitris Fragiskatos
Dimitris Fragiskatos has been attending SHDHS for the past four years. He would like to thank his fellow classmates for his nomination for student of the year.
Dimitris has been involved in many sports at South Huron including badminton (where he quickly learned it was not a sissy sport), tennis, cross-country, basketball and his favourite, soccer. His soccer team, this year, has been especially successful moving on to WOSSA and hopefully OFSAA. Dimitris feels sports have largely influenced his amazing time at South Huron. The coaches of his teams have helped him learn many new skills that he has been able to apply on and off the field. He also enjoyed many quotes from coach Henry Bonsma, including, “ If you want to play like a baby you deserve to be on the bench in your cradle”. Everyone loves the ‘intensity coach’. Dimitris also tried to give something back to the school community and the community at large by being involved with student council and participating in community events. Relay for Life being the favourite.
Another contributing factor to the great time Dimitris has had at South Huron has been his peers. Over the years as he matured and watched his peers mature they continue to share many laughs and enjoy high fives/pounds from each other. His peers have created so many great memories from the start of high school all the way to the near end. He enjoys being able to look back together with these people and consider some of the foolish acts they’ve done and say “Hey it’s cool, it makes a good memory”.
Many great teachers have also contributed to positive memorable moments! Dimitris is happy he can say that even though he sometimes did not focus on his academic work as much as he should have he was still able to create a relationship with his teachers. Relationships that allowed him to visit them during their spare time and have talks and a laugh or two. Dimitris would like to thank all of the great ladies in the office for sharing time with him. He could happily call these moments in the office “bonding moments” rather than “detentions”.
Dimitris is currently working at his family’s restaurant, Kate’s Station, and he also works at Gregus Millworks where the employees there have interesting thoughts on Dimitris’ new haircut.
Dimitris plans to attend Fanshawe College in the fall where he will be taking the Construction Engineering Technology course. Dimitris is the proud son of Jayne and Nick Fragiskatos and he is also proud to be a resident of Hensall.
Dimitris will always remember how South Huron was a great school. Great because of the people he saw everyday, and he wishes the best of luck to all of these people.

Lauren Haberer
Lauren is honoured to have been nominated for Student of the Year this year. Throughout high school, Lauren has taken advantage of many aspects of the “SHDHS experience”. She was a proud panther on the field hockey, volleyball, badminton, and rugby teams, and was especially honoured to travel to OFSAA for field hockey in grade 9. Lauren has been an active member of Student Council, the school bands, the Relay for Life Committee, the Habitat for Humanity Committee, and the Peer Tutoring program.
Next year, Lauren will be attending the University of Ottawa for political science. Looking back over the past four years, Lauren realizes that taking part in these activities has really influenced who she is today. Lauren will miss the friends, teachers, coaches, and extra-curricular activities at South Huron, but is looking forward to beginning a new adventure next year.

Marcus Haccius
Marcus is honored to have been nominated for Student of the Year when South Huron has so many awesome students to choose from. Carpe Diem is one of his favourite phrases and translated means ‘Seize the Day’. Marcus tries to live each day to the fullest by trying new things and new ideas. High school has been an incredible experience for him, and he has enjoyed every minute spent inside South Huron walls.
Many of his fond high school memories will be of the Panther sports teams. Rugby was a new game for Marcus, and he enjoyed learning the rules and slowly reducing the amount of pain he felt after each game. Playing badminton for the school team was a wonderful contrast to rugby, mostly because it placed a net between Marcus and his opponents. He also learned many things through his Reach for the Top experiences, both junior and senior level.
Being on Student’s Council always kept Marcus busy around the school. In the past four years he hasn’t missed many Panther activities, either by organizing or participating in them. These include Terry Fox Runs, Thirty Hour Famines, PAWS Days, gaming tournaments, dances, and many other happening events.
Marcus’ fondest memories revolve around South Huron’s drama program. He enjoyed four years of playing major roles in four different school productions, and is extremely grateful to all the other thespians for making his drama experience a treat.
Next year, Marcus has been accepted into the Beal Musical Theatre Program, and will study there full time. After Beal he plans to attend University, then to pursue a career in dramatic arts.
Marcus thanks all Panthers for four amazing years.

Bryce Halpenny
Being the youngest of three kids, Bryce watched a sister thoroughly enjoy the arts and a brother that thoroughly enjoyed athletics. Bryce decided that he would try to participate in as much school life that South Huron had to offer while maintaining a strong academic standing. This ultimately led to his participation in five bands throughout his high school career. His talent and passion for music was proven when he was asked to play senior band in his second year of high school and lead trumpet in his last two years.
Athletically Bryce has participated in volleyball and badminton and has won four awards in grade 10 and 11. He also participated in a London competitive volleyball league. He has also volunteered at an elementary school volleyball camp for four years held at South Huron. Bryce has been a team player and a competitive athlete each year and athletics has been an important part of his high school life.
Bryce’s extra-curricular activities have made high school life fun and interesting but they never interfered with his academic performance. He maintained honours every year and was top male student one year. Being part of a variety of activities throughout the school has aloud him to have a wide social circle and he is proud of the close friends that he has made in high school. Bryce will be going on next year to the University of Western Ontario for engineering.

Janita Pfaff
Janita Pfaff is happy to be nominated by her peers for Student of the Year. As a panther, she has a diverse profile. Academically, Janita is proud of the honour roll status she has achieved all four years at South Huron District High School. She was an avid member of both the field hockey and rugby teams throughout her high school career, and had the honour of being co-captain of the field hockey team this year. Janita has been an enthusiastic member of the Students’ Council as grade representative in grades nine and ten, as well as Deputy Premier and Formal Chair this year. Janita has also played major roles in the school’s drama productions in grades nine and twelve, as well as sang and played guitar in the Variety Show in grade eleven. She participated on the Envirothon Team that placed first in the Huron-Perth division in her senior year. Outside of school, Janita enjoyed being a member of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Youth Band. She is proud to be employed at the Exeter Villa for over two years. This experience will help her in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Western-Fanshawe this fall. Janita would like to thank the staff, her coaches, and peers at South Huron, as well as her parents, Dennis and Marian, for helping her get the fullest experience at S.H.D.H.S.

Carly Schroeder
Carly is honoured to be nominated for Student of the Year by her peers. Through the years, she has been involved in South Huron’s many activities and clubs. She enjoyed a short stint in rugby, soccer, and OSAID. Carly has contributed to two school productions, “Return to Eden” and “The Variety Show.” She was chosen to attend both the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre and the Rotary’s Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders. Throughout her 4 years, Carly has been dedicated to South Huron’s field hockey team, giving her the opportunity to go to OFSAA 1 year, and WOSSA 4 years. Along with this, Carly has earned a place on the Honour Roll and the top mark in music for the past 3 years. Music has dominated Carly’s life all through her time at South Huron. She has been a part of the music program for 4 years, in which she participated in 8 different ensembles/bands, including both concert and jazz bands, the percussion ensemble and the saxophone quartet. Along with this, Carly earned a spot in the National Concert Band, in which she was proud to represent South Huron, working with 53 other young musicians from across Canada. Also at the Nationals in Ottawa, she received an honour award while competing with the school’s concert bans. Carly is continuing her education in music this fall, at the University of Western Ontario. Carly would like to thank her parents, Steve and Brenda Schroeder of Dashwood, for all their love and support.

Kurt Van Osch
In his four years at SHDHS, Kurt Van Osch has been extremely active on many sports teams. In grades 9 and 10, Kurt played on the volleyball, basketball and soccer teams. In grade 10, Kurt also joined the track and field team. Some of his accomplishments included winning a bronze medal at WOSSA volleyball, competing in triple jump and shot put at WOSSA and winning Huron Perth in soccer. Furthermore, Kurt made the Honour Roll in grade 9 and received Junior Athlete of the Year in grade 10. In grade 11, Kurt played on the volleyball, soccer, track and field, hockey and badminton teams. Kurt made a WOSSA appearance in shot put. At the end of the year, Kurt was awarded the Team Leader Award in hockey, Most Offensive Player in soccer, Rookie of the Year for badminton, and also Senior Athlete of the Year. This year Kurt was on many successful teams. He played on the golf, volleyball, hockey, badminton, and currently the soccer team. The volleyball and hockey teams were able to make a WOSSA appearance; winning a WOSSA gold medal in hockey, allowing Kurt the amazing experience of competing at OFSAA. Kurt also won third place at Huron Perth badminton. Presently, Kurt is helping his soccer team compete at WOSSA, in the hopes to go to OFSAA once again. In his spare time, Kurt attends classes, and through his marks, was able to receive acceptance to the University of Guelph for Business Agriculture. He also participates in school activities such as the Terry Fox Run, Relay for Life, and many others. Kurt has enjoyed every minute of his high school career and will always have great memories of his time spent and the people he has met at SHDHS.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

As May winds down, we look forward to a number of year end activities, including the Formal, the Athletic Awards Assembly, and Relay for Life. These are all significant activities and we certainly would like to see large numbers of students involved in all of them. Parental encouragement of this involvement would be greatly appreciated.
I would like to issue my annual reminder that we would like the Formal to be a positive experience for all who attend it, and to this end, we will once again be taking steps to ensure that it is an alcohol-free event. We will be doing a breathalyzer test at the door, and students will not be admitted if the test shows that they have been drinking. If the breathalyzer indicates a significant level of alcohol, then parents will be called to pick up their son or daughter, and we will have to suspend the student from school. In the last two years since we instituted the policy of testing everyone, the students have been very cooperative and we appreciate that.
Again, parental support and involvement would be appreciated to ensure that there is no alcohol consumption at the dinner parties that take place prior to the dance. We really don’t want to turn anyone away from the dance, and we hope that students realize that they can have a great time at the dance, without having to drink before they arrive. As well, I will be issuing my usual reminders to the students to look out for one another and be responsible after the dance as well. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable experience at this annual rite of graduation.
The nominees for Student of the Year are once again an outstanding group of students who certainly represent the graduating class. Their write-ups will appear in next week’s paper, but I would like to mention them here. It is an honour for them to have been chosen by their peers and any of them would be an excellent choice as Student of the Year: Katie Anderson, Lauren Haberer, Janita Pfaff, Carly Schroeder, Dimitris Fragiskatos, Marcus Haccius, Bryce Halpenny, and Kurt Van Osch. I would like to congratulate all eight of these outstanding young people for being nominated for this honour.
I would also like to congratulate Mr. Moore, Mr. Weston, and all of the band members who traveled to Ottawa for MusicFest Nationals. Not only did they perform remarkably well in the face of some adversity, but I received numerous glowing comments on what excellent ambassadors they were for South Huron. It is always very gratifying when an individual, a group, or a team is recognized for an outstanding achievement, but it is all the more impressive when we are told how well behaved, respectful, and courteous they are.
The Wind Ensemble was the first of our groups to perform and they earned a silver standard. The Senior Concert Band performed next and they achieved a high bronze standard, and the Percussion Ensemble achieved the highest standing possible – a gold standard. Considering that these groups were competing against the best high school groups in the country, these are outstanding achievements. The students, their parents, and teachers should be very proud of these excellent accomplishments, which are a fitting reward for the countless hours of practice and preparation throughout the year.
I would also like to thank three parent volunteers who went along on the trip. Betty Beer, Karen Brown, and Deb Gill not only chaperoned this event, but provided outstanding service as mothers and nurses when several of our students came down with food poisoning and were very ill. We greatly appreciate their assistance and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. I would also like to thank Dave Robilliard, who also chaperoned on the trip, for his work with our percussion students all year long. His instruction, support, and encouragement are also greatly appreciated.
Finally, I would like to comment on our outstanding achievements in track and field this year. We are sending ten students on to compete in the OFSAA West Regionals, based on their achievements at WOSSAA last week. On Thursday Carly Mercer qualified in the Junior Girls 1500M, Ezekial McCarthy in Jr. Boys Discus, Lachlan Macgregor in Sr. Boys High Jump, Justin Anstett in Sr. Boys Javelin, Stephen Runhart in Midget Boys Javelin, and Katie Anderson in Sr. Girls 1500M. On Friday, Carly Mercer and Katie Anderson qualified again, this time for the Jr. and Sr. Girls 3000M respectively. In addition, Deanna Love qualified in the 300M hurdles, Teri Stuckless in Jr. Girls Shot Put, Michelle Hall in the Midget Girls 800M, and John Macgregor in the Midget Boys
High Jump. Ezekial McCarthy also qualified in Jr. Boys Javelin to go along with his qualifying in the discus.
Congratulations to all the members of the Track and Field Team and to their coaches – Dave Small, Phil Conley, Carleen Hone, Scott Halpenny, and Russ Watson – on an outstanding season.

The South Huron District High School percussion ensemble earned a gold standing award at the MusicFest Canada national competition. For more, see music teacher Isaac Moore’s blog.

The South Huron District High School senior band earned a bronze medal this afternoon at the MusicFest Canada national competition.

Music teacher Isaac Moore is keeping the school’s bands’ progress in Ottawa on his blog.

The South Huron District High School wind ensemble performed Wednesday morning at MusicFest Canada and is bringing home a silver award for their performance.

For the most up-to-date news about the competition, where other SHDHS bands are performing, visit music teacher Isaac Moore’s blog.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn
http://www.shdhs.ca

Last Thursday I attended the school production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder, and I came away from the play thoroughly impressed. It was a truly engaging and entertaining production, and I would like to congratulate and commend the director, Ms. Beth Jantzi, and the entire cast and crew of the show. The performances, which took place over four evenings, were the culmination of months of hard work and preparation by the actors and by everyone else who worked offstage and behind the scenes to make this event happen. A large number of staff, students, and parent volunteers contributed their time and energy to make the shows a resounding success, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed in any way to this production.
Now that we have hit mid-May, we really are into the home stretch of the school year. That means that all kinds of final assessments will soon be underway in classrooms and it is important that students give these assessments the energy and attention needed to ensure success. Under the provincial assessment and evaluation policy, each course must have a final assessment worth 30 per cent of the final grade for the course. In a few cases, this 30 per cent will be assigned to a final exam at the end of the year. In most cases, however, it will be split into two or three assessment activities that will take place over the next few weeks. For example, there may be a final exam worth 20 per cent of the year’s mark, and a major project worth 10 per cent. Or there could be three assessment tasks, each worth 10 per cent.
By now, teachers will have advised their students how the final assessment mark will be determined, and it is important that students be ready to complete these assessment tasks and meet the deadlines that are assigned. Unlike other summative assessments, students may be assigned a zero, rather than an incomplete, for failing to complete a final assessment task. Unfortunately, we do have a few students who don’t seem to realize the importance of the final assessment and seem willing to sacrifice this portion of their mark. This can, of course, jeopardize a passing grade and could lead to students failing to achieve credits.
Parents can play a crucial role in assisting us in this matter, by ensuring that students take these assessments seriously and by encouraging them to give the tasks their best effort. We encourage parents to find out when these assessments are and to make sure students are present for in-class tasks and are working diligently on the take-home projects. We will a listing of in-class exams and the final exam schedule at www.shdhs.ca later this month.
May is also one of the busiest months of the year for school activities, and we have students participating in a number of sports – soccer, rugby, track and field – as well as other activities, field trips, etc. that may cause students to miss classes at times in the next few weeks. Our expectation is that students notify teachers in advance if they will miss a test, presentation, or some other in-class assessment task because of an activity. Similarly, if they know they are going to be away from school on the day that something is due, we expect them to hand it in earlier unless they have made alternate arrangements with the teacher. These same expectations apply for absences for medical or dental appointments. If a student misses school due to illness or some other unplanned reason, our expectation is that the student will see the teacher immediately upon his/her return to school to make arrangements for the missed class.
Again, parents can be of tremendous assistance by ensuring that their kids attend school regularly and are aware of the dates and deadlines for their tests and assignments. If parents are having trouble getting this information, which I understand happens on occasion, teachers can be reached by email or by phone. There is a link to staff email addresses on our web-site, but I would ask that parents use this as a last resort, as I wouldn’t want our teachers inundated by email requests of this nature.
Finally, please don’t excuse your kids from attendance unless they are legitimately ill or have something that must be attended to during school time. It is very frustrating when parents excuse their kids to work on school projects or study for tests, to get haircuts, to go camping or shopping, etc. Such absences are not recognized as legitimate school absences in The Education Act, and we consider them to be truancies. Being excused by a parent for such reasons gives students the wrong message about the importance of school and the value of schoolwork. Parental support and assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. If you are a parent and have questions or concerns about this, please give me a call.

7:30 p.m. – South Huron DHS in Exeter performs its final showing of Our Town. Tickets are $7.
8:00 p.m. – North Middlesex DHS in Parkhill performs Grease! You’re the One that I Want. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students.

May 6 – 7 p.m. – Thedford arena – Lambton Shores is holding a revitalization meeting for Thedford, Arkona and Port Franks. Citizens are encouraged to attend this important meeting. For more details, visit the Lambton Shores website.
7:30 p.m. – SHDHS in Exeter presents Our Town, the Thornton Wilder play. Tickets are $7. For more information, visit the SHDHS website.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

One of the events that we look forward to at this time of year is the annual school show, and it is rapidly approaching. This year’s production, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, will be performed from May 6 to 9 in our small gym. Director Beth Jantzi and her cast and crew have been rehearsing and preparing for months for this well known classic. The show begins at 7:30 each evening and tickets, which are only $7.00, can be purchased in the main office at the school. This will be an excellent opportunity to see and hear the dramatic talents of many fine young actors, and we encourage you to come out and show your support of our dramatic arts program.
The School Council’s final community forum of the year will take place on Monday, May 5. This one will be a departure from past forums in that it will take place in the afternoon and the audience will be students rather than parents. The topic this time is “What I Wish I’d Known,” and we have invited graduates who have gone on to college and university to come back and speak to South Huron students who will be heading to post-secondary education this fall. Our goal is to have the grads share their experiences and make our current students more aware of the challenges and opportunities they will face when they head off to college or university.
While we believe that we (the school and parents) do a pretty good job of preparing students for the post-secondary world, some lessons, both good and bad, can only be learned through experience. We also think that recent grads may have more credibility with our students than some of us who attended college or university many years ago. The goal of this session is to have the speakers share the lessons they have learned, to offer some tips and pointers, and perhaps help some of our present students avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that sometimes happen at college or university. If this proves to be a worthwhile forum, we may consider offering it every year.
The forum will be open to Grade 12 students who have applied to college or university and will take place in the cafeteria in last period on Monday, May 5. One of our speakers will be speaking to us via the Internet from Rotterdam, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we won’t have any technical difficulties. We encourage the students who will be attending this session to come prepared with any questions they may have about post-secondary education, whether they be about finances, independence, having a roommate, workload, or any other aspect of college or university life.
More information about this forum can be found on the SHDHS web-site at: http://www.shdhs.ca/.
This week we have also entered into the election campaign for next year’s Students’ Council. Campaigning will take place throughout this week, with the election on Friday, May 2. Congratulations to Leanne Hoffman, who was selected earlier this month as the Student Senator for SHDHS. She will be meeting regularly with senators from the other high schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board to discuss issues and provide the student voice to the trustees of the school board. Two of the senators were chosen last week as student trustees and they will sit with the elected trustees at regular school board meetings.
Finally, I would like to remind parents that the Semester Two Mid-Term Report Card was distributed in last period last Friday. If you haven’t seen it yet, you may want to ask your son or daughter about it. For this report students were required to complete a Response Form on which they were to comment on their academic progress this semester and on their goals for the year. This form must be signed by a parent and returned to the school to be placed in the students’ Ontario School Records. The deadline for this is Friday, May 9, and we would appreciate any assistance that parents may offer in getting this task completed.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

The Semester Two Mid-Term Report will be distributed in last period on Friday of this week. Students will be required to complete the Response Form that accompanies this report, take it home for a parent signature, and then return it to the same teacher who hands it out on Friday. The completed Response Form will then be placed in the student’s Ontario School Record (OSR), along with a copy of his/her report card. We would like to have the Response Forms returned to us within two weeks, which means by Friday, May 9. It is always somewhat of a logistical nightmare getting the Response Form handed out, completed, and returned to the school, and we appreciate any assistance that parents can offer in getting this task completed.
Last weekend our music students held their annual Cabaret, with two excellent performances in front of large and enthusiastic crowds. Although I was not able to attend the Saturday evening performance, I did get to the Sunday afternoon presentation, and, as always, I was very impressed with the musical talents of our students. Under the direction of Mr. Moore and Mr. Weston, the bands performed incredibly well, and I would like to congratulate all of them for their hard work and commitment all year long.
The Cabaret is an important fund-raiser in support of our extra-curricular music program, and this year the funds generated from this event will help to offset some of the costs of our bands’ trip to MusicFest Nationals in Ottawa next month. As a result of their excellent performances at the regional MusicFest competition, our bands were invited to compete in the national competition, which is a great achievement, but also an expensive one. On behalf of the bands, I would like to thank everyone who attended Cabaret, all the businesses and individuals who donated prizes for the raffles, and especially the parents who provided snacks and refreshments.
I would especially like to thank the parents who support the music program all year long by encouraging the students’ participation, getting them out of bed and to the school on time for early morning practices, and by attending the various concerts throughout the year. Their support is crucial to the success of our music program, and, in fact, parental support is vital to all of our extracurricular programs. I don’t thank the parents often enough: we are very fortunate to have a very supportive community, and this makes our jobs as educators much easier.
College and university applicants and their parents are invited to attend an OSAP presentation on Wednesday, April 30, at 2:05 p.m. in the cafeteria. Students are asked to check the OSAP website prior to presentation to see if theirÜ2008 application has been posted. This session will give students and parents the opportunity to find out more about the Ontario Student Assistance Program and ask any questions that they may have.
On a completely different note, you may have read or heard that the London District Catholic School Board voted last week to impose a ban on the use of cell phones, MP3 players, and various other electronic devices in their schools. I have commented on this issue several times in the last few weeks, but I would like to get some feedback from students, parents, and the community. Recently, I asked teachers to have students give me some feedback on “electronic etiquette,” and several teachers gathered responses from their students.
I am interested in getting the perspectives of more students, but I would like to hear from parents and other adults as well. If you would like to provide me with some feedback on this issue, please feel free to send your comments to me at the school or by email at jeffreab@fc.amdsb.ca. Although my main concern is the use of electronic devices at school, I am interested in hearing your comments on electronic etiquette in our society as well.

MusicFest chooses Carly Schroeder as one of the best music students in Canada; three SHDHS bands competing nationally

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

Grade 12 student Carly Schroeder is representing South Huron District High School and her hometown of Dashwood when she heads to Ottawa next month (May 12-18) to perform in the MusicFest Canada national concert band. But her parents won’t be there to see it.
“We’re feeling really bad about that,” says mom Brenda Schroeder. Before they knew Carly was accepted into the band as an alto saxophonist, Brenda and Steve had booked a trip to visit Carly’s brother, an RCMP officer in B.C. “We leave on Thursday and she performs on Friday. The timing’s all bad, so we’re hoping there will be CDs or DVDs that record the event. When it comes to your kids, you like to see them in such situations.”
You can’t blame the Schroeders for making plans; her selection to be part of the band was certainly a surprise to Carly.
“I didn’t expect to get chosen,” she says. “It was a little overwhelming at first. I was like, Are you sure?”
An email mix-up didn’t help. After sending the first confirmation message, something confusing happened.
“They sent me a second one that was addressed to Ryan someone. I emailed them back and a couple of weeks later, they sent me another email to say yes, that I was in. It was kind of a long process.”
That process began when music teacher Isaac Moore helped her record a CD of work learned during lessons with Ryan Fraser of London.
“The pieces I played were not your typical alto saxophone songs,” Carly notes. “The first song I played had this growling part to it, and it was really fun. I wasn’t sure what they’d think about it. Then there was another second movement to it that was more typical.”
The judges must have been impressed, says MusicFest Canada executive director Jim Howard.
“It’s very difficult to get into the saxophone section because Dr. Jeremy Brown (the head of music at the University of Calgary) is a world-renowned saxophone player,” he told the Strip from Calgary. “She must be very, very good to get in there.”
“This is kind of the ultimate honour band,” he adds, noting the band consists of 55-60 students from across the country. “It’s an amazing experience. We run it like a camp as opposed to running it like a touring band. Yamaha provides clinics to sectionals with them during the week. They get access to the MusicFest Canada master classes, and they get to play music they’re normally not going to get to play. They’re playing such a high level of music, even university bands aren’t tackling the repertoire these kids are going to play.”
University scouts will be at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa to hear Carly and the rest of the band play, bringing with them $100,000 in scholarships to attract the best to their schools.
The band will practice for nine hours a day for four days, and then perform twice as a group. Howard estimates about 2500 students will jam the hall to see them perform. A big event for a small-town teen who became attracted to the saxophone as a student with Exeter’s Lori Erb.
“My parents put me in Music for Young Children when I was six,” Carly says. “That was piano, and I picked up the saxophone in high school. I loved jazz and blues, and I played my first blues song on the piano. That’s when I decided I wanted to play saxophone.”
“At about Grade 3 piano, she was wavering and wasn’t enjoying it,” Brenda adds, “and Lori had the insight to let her have a whole year of playing blues and jazz, staying away from the conservatory pieces. That was a real turning point for her.”
Besides jazz and blues, Carly loves classic rock, favouring the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Classical music can be heard when she’s studying. And there will be many more years of that. She’s planning on becoming a high school music teacher.
“Music has always been a huge part of my life,” she says. “I don’t see my life without it. Seeing this high school music department, it’s awesome how it brings people together.”
Bringing people together is what the music department does best, and three of its ensembles are heading to Ottawa with Carly. The senior concert band, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble excelled at the regional MusicFest in London last month, with the percussion ensemble earning the coveted gold status.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work we do here,” says teacher Isaac Moore. “The national thing is pretty special because it means some of the best bands in the country come from right here in Exeter, Ontario.”
The music department’s annual Cabaret will showcase some of the work being performed at the nationals. The Cabaret happens Saturday, April 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. All of the department’s bands will be featured.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn
Next week our students and staff will be engaged in a number of activities to recognize Earth Day on April 22. Students are being encouraged to wear green and take part in some “eco” activities, including an Eco Trivia contest. They will also be encouraged to take part in a litterless lunch, producing little or no garbage and recycling their cans and bottles.
In collaboration with Exeter’s Communities in Bloom Association, Exeter Public School, and Precious Blood School, several of our classes will be involved in a community clean-up. As well, students in Ms. Migchel’s and Ms. McCowan’s classes will be participating in an Invasive Species Remediation project with the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority, cleaning up the old Ausable River Channel. These activities are being organized by our Eco Schools team, which is headed by Ms. McCowan, Ms. Black, Kendra Windsor, and Amy Lightfoot. While Earth Day is only once a year, the goal of these activities is to encourage students and staff to reduce energy consumption, reduce the amount of waste we produce, and develop greater awareness of environmental issues all year long.
The Junior Optimists Club, on behalf of our Healthy Active Living Committee, will be holding a three-on-three basketball tournament on April 29 in support of Hoops for Heart. The tournament, which will be a round-robin format, will take place during Period Three (lunch period) and is open to community members as well as students. Pledge forms for this event can be picked up at the school, and the money raised will be donated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about cell phone use at schools and suggested that trying to ban cell phones from schools was not very practical, given the number of students who have them, how easily they can be hidden, and the fact that they use them so much outside of school. There have been times, however, when I have thought that a total ban might be the easiest way to deal with the problem. I had such a moment last week.
A couple of individuals were allegedly trying to organize a fight at lunchtime in a community not too far away. Reports of the planned event began to circulate via text messaging during the morning, and some of our students, along with students from another school, decided to attend the event. The fact that they would have to skip school to take in the fight did not seem to deter them, and they allegedly made their travel plans by text messaging one another.
The police were informed of the plan, however, and were present at the appointed hour. The fight did not occur at that point in time, but a new time and location were arranged, again apparently by cell phone and text message, and an altercation did occur a little later in the afternoon. This activity caused a flurry of cell phone calls and text messages at school throughout the day, many of which were during class time, and caused major distraction and disruption at the school all day. The impact would certainly have been much less if students did not have cell phones at school; so, clearly, there is some merit in considering an all-out ban of cell phones.
However, the issue still comes down to teaching students appropriate behaviour: the cell phone, like the iPod, the digital camera, the computer, etc., is a tool, and we need to teach students when and how to use it – and how not to use it. While I am not convinced that it should be the school’s job to teach this, it’s obvious that cell phones are going to continue to be a part of students’ lives, and will therefore continue to have an impact on school life. Like any form of technology, the cell phone can be used for good purposes or bad, and unfortunately, last week we experienced the bad.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

In the last few years, one of the goals of the Avon Maitland District School Board has been to develop positive citizenship qualities in our students. In order to help us achieve this goal, a character education program was developed with input from the community, starting with the identification of ten character attributes that we would like to see our students acquire. Two of these traits are empathy and compassion, which South Huron students demonstrate remarkably well throughout the year by their involvement in charitable ventures, something that has been very evident in the last couple of weeks.
The newly formed Junior Optimists group staged a clothing drive, collecting gently used articles of clothing to be turned over to local charitable agencies, which will sell the clothing at very affordable prices. This serves two purposes: it provides clothing at greatly reduced prices for those who may not be able to afford new clothing and it helps the local agencies raise funds to continue their good works. The Junior Optimists collected 2000 items of clothing from staff and students, and they should be commended for the success of this venture. I would like to thank also all the staff and students who supported this endeavour.
While they were doing this, the Change Bandits in our SCC DD classes have been collecting pocket change in support of The Children’s Hospital. Their goal is to raise $500, and to date they are more than halfway there. Their campaign continues this week and I have no doubt that their target will be reached. Special thanks goes to EA Joanne Pickering, who has organized the Change Bandits campaign for the past few years.
On Friday and Saturday last week, over 130 students took part in the annual 30 Hour Famine. SHDHS has been one of the most successful schools in Ontario in terms of both participation and fund-raising for this event, and this year is no exception. While the participation numbers are down a little from the past couple of years, it looks as though this year’s event will raise almost $10 000 for World Vision.
The Character Education Committee took on the task of organizing this year’s Famine, and they report that the students were extremely well-behaved throughout the event, which began on Friday at noon and finished up at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The students stay at the school for the thirty hours and the Character Education Committee would like to thank all of the staff, including a couple of student teachers, who supervised the event. Without the support of staff, students, and parents, events like this are just not possible; so a huge “thank you” goes out to all the participants, the supervisors, organizers, and everyone who pledged money in support of World Vision.
This week we will be holding an assembly to introduce two more charitable events that will take place later this spring: Hoops for Heart and Relay for Life. Students and staff have been involved in both of these campaigns in the past, and we anticipate high levels of student and staff involvement, and considerable community support of these events again this year.
But the fund-raising is only part of the story: what impresses me most about our involvement in all of these things, is the willingness of the students, staff, and community to get involved and the excellent behaviour of all those who take part. The excellent conduct and concern for others are truly impressive and indicative of the character of the whole South Huron community.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate the boys’ hockey team, coached by Ryan Soldan and Roger Dougall, for their fine performance at OFSAA, the provincial championships. Though we did not advance to the play-off round of the tournament, the boys had a very respectable 2-2 record against some very tough competition and both victories were shutouts. The coaches reported that the boys were very well behaved and served as excellent ambassadors for the school. There were a number of parents who traveled to Ottawa to support the team, and a few students as well, and I would like to thank them for their support, not only in this tournament, but throughout the year.

The South Huron District High School boys’ hockey team lost a critical game Friday morning, 7-2 to #2 ranked Appleby, and were eliminated from the OFSAA tournament with a 2-2-0 record. The top two teams from each pool advanced to playoffs, but the loss put South Huron into third place.

For more details on the tournament, visit the OFSAA website.

South Huron District High School’s boys’ hockey team is sitting at two wins, one loss and no ties at the OFSAA championships in Ottawa. South Huron entered the tournament ranked 15 out of 20, and are now placed third in their pool, with one game to go.

The boys lost their first game to Sacred Heart 4-2; they won their next two games, 6-0 over Queen Elizabeth and 4-0 over St. Charles.

South Huron has the second lowest goals against average in the tournament, with 1.333. They will face undefeated Appleby – who won all three games with shutouts – Friday morning at 10:30 a.m.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

Girls in Grade 9 are reminded to return the consent form for the Girls Unlimited Career Day, scheduled for May 23. The consent forms were sent home with the recent Interim Report Card, and while the event is several weeks away, we do need to confirm our attendance numbers shortly. We need to have the consent forms by April 14 for all girls who are planning to attend this event.
In a recent column I indicated that I would be writing some columns on technology and its role in education, and I thought that I would start with perhaps the most controversial piece of technology in schools today – the cell phone. Until about three years ago, we had very few problems with cell phone use in schools because very few students had them. However, in the last couple of years there has been an explosion in the number of students who have their own cell phones, and we have struggled with how to respond to the situation.
The problems at school caused by cell phone use are fairly obvious, with the most common complaint being that students are distracted by cell phones ringing or vibrating during class, along with the accompanying need to answer the call. Increasingly, however, students are being caught text messaging one another during class time, and some students are being accused of paying more attention to the cell phone than to the classroom teacher. Many young people today spend so much time text messaging one another that they find it a real challenge to turn their phones off or ignore them, no matter where they are or what they are doing – attending class, driving, watching a movie, or eating in a restaurant.
The most common response to the concerns at school has been to impose a ban – either a total ban of all cell phones and electronic devices from school, or a ban on using them while in class. Schools and boards that have tried the total ban have not had much success for a couple of obvious reasons. The biggest problem is that cell phones have become so small that it is virtually impossible to determine who has one. In fact, in many cases, total bans actually encourage students to bring cell phones to school, just to see if they can do so without being caught. Since in most cases it is parents who have purchased the cell phones for their kids, having them confiscated by the school administration is generally not well received.
Our approach at South Huron has been to allow students to have cell phones at school but to expect them to be turned off during class time so that they do not become a distraction. If a student is caught using the phone during class time, the teacher has been authorized to take it away for the remainder of the period or for the rest of the day. Repeat offenders have had their phones turned over to the vice-principal, and our policy for continual offenders is that the phone will be confiscated and held until a parent can come to pick it up. Naturally, we have faced some challenges with this policy, and because cell phone use continues to be a concern, we are continually reviewing our response to this situation.
Recently, there has been considerable discussion in education circles about using cell phones as educational tools, rather than trying to stop the use of them. Cell phones can now be used for much more than making phone calls, and they are becoming more and more like hand-held computers. Cell phones now have calculators built into them, digital cameras, dictionaries, text messaging, and, increasingly, students can access the Internet on their phones. Educators are now exploring ways to incorporate cell phone use into their lessons. In fact, I have heard that some university professors even encourage students in large lecture hall classes to text message them during class with questions they may have about the lecture.
Personally, as a classroom teacher, I would prefer to have my students put their cell phones out on their desks where I can see them, rather than try to prevent them from using them surreptitiously during class. Some students are so adept at text messaging that they can send messages without even looking at the phone itself. As they become more and more skilled at doing so, it will become almost impossible to prevent them from doing so secretly. Maybe if we turn cell phones into an educational tool, it will become less attractive for students to use them during class time.
It seems pretty likely that within a few years virtually every student will have a cell phone. And since they are using them so much outside of school, they will want to do so at school as well. Clearly, we will have to develop a more effective response to this issue, as it is not likely to go away.
Perhaps a good place to start would be cell phone etiquette – teaching students when it is appropriate and when not to take or make a call on a cell phone. At virtually every meeting I attend, the first order of business is to tell the audience members to turn off their cell phones. Despite this request, someone invariably has a phone ring or rushes out to respond to a cell phone vibrating in a pocket or purse. Maybe if we can convince students that there are times and places that are inappropriate for cell phone use, they will become responsible by the time they are adults.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

Congratulations to Mr. Soldan, Mr. Dougall, and the Panther boys’ hockey team, who won the WOSSAA championship last week and are now bound for Ottawa next week to compete at OFSAA, the provincial championships. The Panthers defeated Glencoe Secondary 5-2 and F E Madill 1-0 to advance to the provincial championship tournament. The coaches reported that the boys represented us very well both on and off the ice, and I know that the students and staff will be wishing them well and following their progress closely at OFSAA.
Congratulations also to Mr. Moore, Mr. Weston, Ms. Milner, and the bands for their excellent performances at the Musicfest Regionals in London. The Wind Ensemble, Intermediate Concert Band and Senior Concert Band all achieved a Silver standard, while the Percussion Ensemble achieved Gold. The Wind Ensemble, Senior Concert Band, and Percussion Ensemble have all been invited to participate in Musicfest Nationals in May. The Jazz Band will compete this week as their opportunity was postponed by a snowstorm.
I would like to especially recognize the achievement of Carly Schroeder, who has been selected to perform with the National Concert Band, which has students from all across Canada who are chosen by audition. Carly was chosen from a pool of hundreds of applicants to fill one of only two available spots in her section of the band. This is indeed a great honour and we should all be very proud of Carly. Congratulations Carly on this tremendous achievement.
This week we have two significant events: the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test and Parent-Teacher Interviews, both of which happen on Thursday. The OSSLT is a huge logistical challenge and requires the use of many staff members and numerous rooms in the school. As a result, we will be altering our schedule on Thursday. Students in Grade 10 and those who are re-writing the literacy test will do so on Thursday morning in classrooms on the second floor. While they are writing the test, Grade 9 students will be engaged in a practice literacy test in classrooms on the first floor.
Students in Grade 11 and 12 have been given the opportunity to take one of several certification courses for the morning. They signed up for these previously and we have spent considerable time and money organizing these courses on a variety of topics.
This certification program is costing us several thousand dollars and so it is critical that students who signed up for certification show up for the course.
Because of all these activities, we will not be running any regular classes on Thursday morning; however, we will be running the two regular afternoon classes, which will be shortened by only five minutes each in order to give us time to set up for parent-teacher interviews. All students are expected to attend the two afternoon classes on Thursday.
Parent-Teacher interviews will be held in the cafeteria and small gym from 3:30 to 5:00 and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Interim reports were mailed out last Wednesday and Thursday and hopefully parents will have received them in time to have students set up interviews.
A short newsletter accompanied the report and on the bottom was a brief form for arranging interviews. Parents are asked to have their son or daughter take this form to school and arrange interview times with the teachers. Interviews can be arranged on Thursday as well: we will have student secretaries in the front hall and they will have the teachers’ interview schedules to assist parents in finding available interview times.

Three South Huron District High School bands have been invited to play at the national MusicFest in Ottawa in May. The senior band, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble qualified for the nationals with strong performances at the London MusicFest March 4.
Music teacher Isaac Moore heads the new wind ensemble, which performed a challenging program and earned a silver award with an invitation to the nationals.
Matthew Weston’s intermediate band performed later that morning, receiving a silver award.
That afternoon, Moore’s senior band – one of the largest concert bands at the festival – performed well enough to earn a silver-plus rating, qualifying for the nationals as well.
The last SHDHS group to perform was the percussion ensemble led by Moore and David Robilliard. An enthusiastic and curious audience appreciated the challenging program, which overwhelmed adjudicators to earn a gold award.
The Black Jazz band is awaiting a snow date.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn, SHDHS

Last week we held our second annual PAWS (Panther Active Winter Sports) Day, and we really couldn’t have asked for better weather. Although it was a little on the chilly side, we had bright sunshine and clear skies, giving us excellent conditions for some fun outdoors in the snow. Period Two classes competed against one another in each grade level, with points awarded for participation, enthusiasm, and, of course, for winning the events. The students and staff involved had a great time, and I would like to thank the PAWS Day Committee and the Students’ Council leaders for organizing and running the events.
I am disappointed, however, in one aspect of PAWS Day, and that is the level of attendance and involvement by the student body, with fewer than half of the students present. In recent years schools have been encouraged to do more to get students active and to encourage healthy active living. While we can provide the opportunities for activity, we can’t force the students to take advantage of them: PAWS Day is an example of that. We shortened classes so that the events could be run during school time, and the games were designed for maximum participation and fun, requiring little athletic ability. So, it was disappointing that so many students opted not to take part, many with the support of their parents. I’m sure that there were some who were absent for legitimate reasons, but that would not be the case for many of them.
In spite of the poor turn-out, it was a great day, and as I have told our staff, there are many ways to measure success, with the numbers in attendance being only one. The levels of enthusiasm, fun, and school spirit demonstrated by those who were involved are perhaps better indicators of the success of this event.
Student engagement and involvement are challenges on the academic side of things as well. Outside of school most students are engaged in a world of technology that keeps them entertained and inter-connected in ways that are somewhat foreign to parents and teachers alike. Although television is still a big part of their lives, computers and video games have surpassed it in importance in the lives of many teens, and the cell phone and text messaging occupy much of their time as well. And, of course, I can’t overlook the MP3 player: the iPod is firmly established in the lives of our young people.
But there is more than entertainment happening through this technology. Students are connected to one another through MSN, Facebook, email, and text messaging in ways that we may find hard to understand, and a whole new language of acronyms has developed. News – good and bad – gossip, and cyber-bullying happen at an astonishing rate, adding to the challenges and pressures of growing up.
So, in the classroom we face an enormous challenge in trying to engage students in learning, even in trying to get them disengaged from the technology that dominates their lives outside of school. Is technology the answer? It may be part of the solution, but it does cost a great deal of money. Mobile computer labs and SmartBoards do seem to be improving levels of student engagement, but is this due to the novelty of the equipment, or will the effect be long lasting? Only time will tell. Instead of competing with the technologies that already have our students engaged, should we be trying to find ways to incorporate them into our teaching? Clearly we have more questions than answers but one thing is certain: as technology advances, it will become more and more of a challenge to get and keep students engaged in school work.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

On Thursday afternoon of this week we are holding our second annual PAWS Day (Panther Active Winter Sports) as part of our goal to encourage healthy active living. Students and staff will be participating in a series of outdoor winter games, intended to promote active living, teamwork, and school spirit. We had a wonderful time last year when we held the first PAWS Day, and we hope that it will be equally enjoyable this year.
We will run all five classes on Thursday, but will shorten the period lengths so that we can start the outdoor activities shortly after 1:00. If students try to tell you that we have no classes at all (which some have been known to say in the past,) this is your notice that this is not the case. We are encouraging all students to take part, and there will be friendly competitions between classes in each grade level. Students are asked to pay attention to the weather and to dress appropriately for the conditions on Thursday – boots, hats, winter coats, and gloves or mittens. If by chance the weather should be nasty on Thursday, we will postpone the event to a more suitable day, but we do want to have snow on the ground for most of our activities. We are looking forward to a great day of activity and spirit-building.
On Thursday evening, the Students’ Council is hosting a night of video game competition. Students will be demonstrating their skills in Halo 3 and Guitar Hero, which promises to be a fun way to end our PAWS Day.
Preparations are also under way for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, which will be written this year in the morning of Thursday, March 27. Students in their second year of high school and those who were unsuccessful last year will be required to write the test. Successful completion of the OSSLT or the literacy course (OLC 40) is a graduation requirement. Students in Grade 11 who were unsuccessful last year have been attending weekly skills workshops to help them be more successful this year. Soon, these workshops will happen twice a week. Teachers of Grade 10 classes have been given literacy test preparation activities to use in their classes to help Grade 10 students get ready for the test.
Parents of students who have to write the test are asked to ensure that any medical or dental appointments scheduled for March 27 are cancelled and re-booked for an alternate date. Students are permitted to write the OSSLT on the scheduled date only: those who miss it will be required to take the test next year; so it is very important that they be present on March 27.
The Interim Report for Semester Two is scheduled to be distributed on Thursday, March 20, the day before Good Friday. Once again this will be an informal report, intended to give parents a “snapshot” of student progress, and to inform them of any concerns that teachers may have about student progress. It will not contain a mark but will let parents know how their sons or daughters are doing. Parent- Teacher interviews are scheduled for the following week on March 27, the same day as the Literacy Test.
Finally, the deadline for next year’s course selections is now past. Any students who have yet to turn in their choices for next year are asked to do so as soon as possible. The process of creating next year’s timetable will get under way shortly after March Break.

Ryan VanValkengoed, 17, of Crediton went missing after leaving a friend’s house a short distance from home the evening of January 11. Police divers found his body in the Ausable River Monday afternoon. Ryan was the oldest of three sons of Bob and Lorie VanValkengoed, owners of Advanced Auto Parts and Salvage and Lorie’s Advanced Hair Care.

As told to Casey Lessard

Bob VanValkengoed: He was very responsible. With this incident, we knew there was a problem right from the start.
Lorie VanValkengoed: We were hoping this was the first time he did something out of character. But it wasn’t.

Lorie: When we first got married, we were probably married about a week and I remember saying to Bob, “Let’s have children right away,” and him saying, “Yep.” As a woman, I thought there were about 15 more sentences that needed to go with that, so I waited a week and asked again, and he said, “Yep.”
The hardest time Ryan ever gave us was giving birth. He was 19 days overdue. He was due December 9, and Christmas Eve, the doctor told me to come see him. I said, “You have no idea. If you put me in the hospital over Christmas, I guarantee I will make your life a living hell.” He said he just wanted to make sure I would make it through Christmas.
On December 26, we went into London to be induced and on December 28 at 2:32 in the morning, he was born by Caesarean section.

Bob: It’s the only time in his life he’s been late. He was pretty good otherwise.
He was always a good kid. I went to London three or four times a week, and every morning I had to get up at 5 o’clock and he would get upset if I didn’t wake him up. He wasn’t even two years old. So I would wake him up and put his work clothes on and we would go to work. He would sleep on my lap. We would take a load of products to London, and I always remember going to the restaurant for breakfast. At that age, he was just so busy fooling around or crawling under the table. We would drop off scrap at Zubick’s and every time he would get a chocolate bar. For years, if I didn’t wake him up, he would just be so grumpy that I didn’t wake him up.
After that, he was always in the shop. He was blonde as snow, but he’d come out of there covered in black from oil and mud.
One day I was working and I had bought an electric car for him. He wasn’t two yet, and I looked over; he had hooked a set of chain falls (for pulling engines out of cars) onto the electric car and it was sitting eight feet off the ground.
Lorie: He was interested in possibly taking over the business (Advanced Auto). We just talked about it over the holidays.
Bob: It was in his blood. He liked it. He could print invoices and take care of the business end of it. I always checked and there was never a time when he forgot something. And if someone came after hours, he would tell them, “I’ll deal with you this time, but you shouldn’t make this a regular habit.” He was good at training his customers. He was a real businessman.

Lorie: School was never an interest for him. He wanted to run his own business. One day, I got a call from the school saying Ryan had skipped. I asked him when he got home, and he said, “Yeah, I skipped.” I asked what he did, where he went. “To the cafeteria.” I said, “You skipped school to go to the cafeteria?” He said he was talking with the principal Jeff Reaburn. They were talking about starting your own business. So I called the school and said, “My son skipped, he was talking with the principal, so please give him detention.”
He was a thrill seeker. One day, he fell out of a tree on the property and he came to the shop and said to Bob he fell. He was walking and talking, and Bob said, “You look good to me.” We found out later he had fallen 30’. His first cousin said he landed and looked fine but started crying because he couldn’t find his shoe. It wasn’t the fall that hurt him.
Bob: We always had golf carts or dirt bikes. All the kids rode around on this one golf cart. I told someone that we went through 50 gallons of gas in one summer.
I bought him a new dirt bike in the spring, and he always wore a helmet. I was raised with a bike and I still ride without a helmet. But Ryan always wore a helmet. I always said, “What did I say to him to convince him to wear a helmet?”
Lorie: I cut hair out of my home, and I was with a client one day and Ryan was at the top of the stairs. Ryan asked if I could come up the stairs. I said I was busy – I think I was doing a colour. He called Jacob instead. Ryan had wiped out severely on his dirt bike. Jacob, to help Ryan had wrapped his wounds in toilet paper. It took me about two days to pick the toilet paper out of the wounds as it healed. To this day, he had scars (and he was proud of every one of them).
Bob: He was in bed three days, and Jacob took his meals up to him.

Lorie: All of us were very close with Ryan. He connected with each one of us in different ways.
Bob: Just a great guy to be around. Some of my hired help aren’t around this week because they’re taking it very hard.
Lorie: Ryan had a good group of friends.
Bob: [He didn’t like big parties.] Even on a Friday night, he was never comfortable if there were more than five people.
Lorie: The only time he liked that was for concerts. In fact, I have a $600 bill on my credit cards for Linkin Park.
Bob: He would take matters into his own hands and order tickets. One day he called me and said he needed (continued on p.4) (cont’d from p.3) $900 on my credit card. I said, “What are you doing?” He said, “We’re going to see Motley Crue and Aerosmith.” He said the tickets were $150 a ticket and if he got six guys to go he could get a limo lined up. He was 15 when he did that. He was organized and knew what he liked.
Bob: He was very thrifty. He came from the movies one night and said, “Dad, I got free popcorn.” I asked how he did that. He said, “It was easy; I just went into the garbage bag and grabbed an empty bag and told the guy to fill it.” I said, “Don’t you find it gross to grab a bag out of the garbage?” He said, “Do you think I’m that stupid? I told the guy I needed a new bag!”

January 11
Bob: Lorie had gone to the States for a business meeting for the weekend. I was with the boys myself. I woke up at about 12:15 a.m. I went and checked him out and he wasn’t there. So I laid down again and kept getting up again every couple hours. All of a sudden, at 5:45 a.m., he’s still not there. I thought maybe this was the first time he slept over at a friend’s house. I had to take one of the other boys to hockey practice and on the way, I called the shop but got no answer. He would sleep out in the shop sometimes. I kept thinking he was staying at one of his buddy’s places. I had breakfast with a friend of mine that morning before 8 o’clock, and through the morning I kept trying to call a couple of his friends and got no answer.
Finally I got through at 2 o’clock when I called his cousin. His cousin said, “Oh, Ryan should have been home.” There were five or six people at the house he was at Friday, and Ryan was one of them. That’s when I started getting scared.
In the meantime, one of my nephews drives over here and he’s concerned. That’s when I called the police and told them it was very out of character. I thought they would just fill out a missing person’s report, but he took it very seriously. Within hours they had the dogs out and police officers all over the place. It was on the news Saturday night.

January 12
Lorie: I was at a big conference, and one of the ladies called my room Saturday night. She told me Bob had been trying to get in touch with me. I looked at my friends and to
ld them, “It’s not good.” He wouldn’t call me for anything unless it was very serious. I phoned home and when I came downstairs, my one friend said, “You look like you’re going to be ill.” I kind of half-smiled and said, “Ryan’s missing.” A couple other friends gathered around and asked, what do you want to do, do you want to sit down, what can we do for you? I said, “Actually, I’d like to breathe for a minute.”
I sat and collected my thoughts, and one friend who had disappeared showed up and said, “We’re packed and ready to go.” It was a surreal ride home. We were about four hours away and I think we did it in two-point-five. The closer we got to home, the more it started to sink in.
Bob: From Saturday afternoon to Monday, we hardly slept. You doze off for a few hours here and there. I sat in the chair in the kitchen, and from that chair, I could see the door to see if anybody was coming in, I could see the road to see if anyone was coming there, and I could look at the clock. For three days, I kept looking at the clock, the door, the window.
Everyone was helping. Even people I knew didn’t have their driver’s license were driving around trying to find him.
Lorie: Two officers, Ralph Christmas and Jeff Adkin, were in charge. They sat with us, they gave us minute-by-minute updates. We had many people call offering to volunteer. The police had to treat it as a possible crime scene, so volunteers couldn’t come in. They tried to get a helicopter from Orillia, but it was grounded due to fog, so local pilots took officers up and did an air search. There were at least a couple of planes. There were numerous neighbours and their kids out looking. From young to old and everybody in between.

January 14
Bob: The police found some of his belongings by the tree by the river. They said that’s the last trace of where he’s been. Monday afternoon, they found him about 25’ from the bridge. The autopsy said he had drowned.
My brother-in-law didn’t want to be the one to tell us, so he asked a neighbour to do it, and all he said was, “It’s not good news. They found him.” And we knew.
The house was full of company – friends and family and relatives. And it was devastating. I’ll never forget that.

Lorie: The O’Briens had taken the kids for two nights and took their kids out of school to keep them company. Before the news spread, I went to tell my boys. They had some questions and some tears.
I called Const. Adkin and told him I was ready to come and see Ryan, so I got to spend some time with him before he left. That was a really good time.
Lorie: You couldn’t sit and write enough thank you cards. The first one would go to the police officers, then the professionals who did the search, the pilots who volunteered, the volunteers, the fire department.
Bob: The phone calls, the food. I’ve never seen so much food in my life.

Lorie: I’ll miss the stupid stuff. Folding laundry and making three piles.
Bob: Four people for supper, not five.
Lorie: It seems like it’s a lifetime away. I’ve told everybody there’s part of me that believes I knew this was coming. I don’t know if it’s just concern for a child normally or something more than that, but I’ve prepared for this for years because I believe the day he was born, the day of his death was pre-planned.
Bob: I wouldn’t have believed it was this bad to go through something like this. You keep blaming yourself and wonder what you did right, and your mind is racing with what went wrong.
Lorie: But if we had to change one thing, there’s nothing we could change. For a teenager, he was good.
Bob: We just feel it’s a big dream and everything’s going to go away and be back to normal.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

Last week was a very difficult one for students, staff, and families of the South Huron community as we struggled to come to grips with the loss of one of our students, Ryan VanValkengoed. Ryan was a fun-loving student with a great sense of humour who was well liked by all who knew him, and his death has caused us much sadness. The huge number of students, staff, friends, and community members who attended the visitation and funeral attests to the positive impact that Ryan had on our lives. He will be deeply missed.
We will be meeting with students this week to plan a memorial service for Ryan, which will be held early in the new semester to celebrate his life and share our thoughts and stories so that we may keep him alive in our hearts and in our memories. Further details regarding the memorial will appear in next week’s column.
Final exams for Semester One courses run from Fri., Jan. 25 to Wed., Jan. 30, with a P.A. day Thurs., Jan 31. Semester Two begins Fri., Feb. 1. The exam schedule is posted on our school website as well as in classrooms throughout the building. In the event of a snow day during exams, that day’s exams will be moved to the following day and the whole schedule will be moved back by a day. Students are advised to take home study materials in advance of exams so they have notes and texts for study purposes in case we have bad weather.
The end of the first semester also means that it is time to start preparing for next year’s course selection. Our guidance staff have already visited our public feeder schools and provided Grade 8 students with a course calendar and other materials needed for selecting courses for Grade 9 next year. Unfortunately, this year we have not been permitted to send our staff to the Catholic elementary schools; however, we are able to make our course selection materials available to students in these schools and they and their parents are most welcome to attend our Grade 8 Night presentation next month. The same holds true for Grade 8 students in Grand Bend Public School.
Our Grade 8 Information Night and Open House will be held on Wed., Feb. 13, with a snow date of Wed., Feb. 20. The evening will commence with an informal tour of the school at 6:45 p.m. Students and parents will have the opportunity to see our facilities, meet our staff and some of our students, see examples of the great learning opportunities and extracurricular activities, and ask questions about courses and programs. At 7:30, we will have a more formal presentation in the large gym.
Students in Grades 9 to 12 have already received course calendars and pathway planners to assist them in choosing courses for next year. We encourage parents to sit down with them to review the materials and help students to make wise choices for next year. The Pathway Planner is a very informative document that provides excellent information about course selection as it relates to various post-secondary options, from the workplace and apprenticeships to college and university. Course selection for current students starts February 7. Any students who have questions or are uncertain about their choices are encouraged to consult their guidance counsellors.

Police have recovered Ryan VanValkengoed’s body from the Ausable River in Crediton. The 17-year old, whose family lives near the river, disappeared after leaving a friend’s home Friday; his route took him over the river. OPP divers found Ryan’s body early Monday afternoon.

Huron OPP are looking for help to find 17-year old Ryan VanValkengoed of Crediton. The teen was last seen at about 11:30 Friday night walking home from another Crediton residence. He did not arrive home.
Foul play is not suspected, but Huron OPP are concerned about Ryan’s wellbeing. The Emergency Response Team and the canine unit are assisting in the search.
Ryan VanValkengoed is described as 5’10″ with a slim build. He has short blond hair and was last seen wearing baggy “skater” type pants and a light grey jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to contact CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-222-T.I.P.S. (8477) or the Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn, SHDHS

The arrival of the New Year on the calendar means that we are closing in on the end of the first semester, and that means that final exams are not far off. In fact, exams begin in less than three weeks, running from Friday, January 25, to Wednesday, January 30, followed by a PA Day on January 31 and the start of the new semester on February 1. The exam schedule has been created and can be found by scrolling to the bottom of our school web page: www.shdhs.ca. Copies of the exam schedule will be posted in the school this week.
Students and parents are asked to check the exam schedule and to re-schedule any medical or dental appointments that may conflict with students’ exams. Students are reminded that they will receive a zero for any exams that they miss without a legitimate cause. In the event of illness during exams, students may be required to provide a doctor’s note to confirm the illness, and in such situations parents are asked to contact the school as soon as possible.
Students are reminded also that during the exam period they are required to attend only when they have an exam to write. If they have an afternoon exam, but no exam in the morning for example, they are not required to be at school in the morning. If they choose to be at school at a time when they have no exam, then they must stay out of the areas where exams are being written – the large gym and some classrooms on the second floor. The library will be open during exams for quiet study purposes only.
Should there be a snow day during the exam period, the exam schedule will be pushed back: for example, if there is a snow day on the first day of exams, those exams would be written the next day and the schedule would be pushed back by a day. We encourage students to plan ahead and make sure that they have at home any study materials they may need to prepare for exams, just in case we have bad weather at any time in the next three weeks. Students should by now be preparing for exams in order to avoid having to cram at the last minute.
A small number of students will find that they have exam conflicts – two exams scheduled for the same time slot. These students should speak to our Vice-Principal, Mrs. Goetz, to find out how the conflicts will be managed. Similarly, students who are entitled to exam accommodations should speak to their classroom teachers to ensure that they know where and when they will be writing their exams.
In addition to final exams, students in most classes will also be working on other kinds of final assessments over the next three weeks. These will include final projects, tests, essays, and presentations, and in a few cases, some in-class exams. It is important that students manage their time wisely to ensure that they get all of their work done to the best of their ability and still leave themselves time to study for final exams. This is particularly important for students who also have part-time jobs or are involved in activities outside of school, like hockey for example.
As an added bonus, students taking Grade 9 Academic Math this semester also have the EQAO test to do in the next couple of weeks. This is a province-wide test, part of which is used as a portion of the final assessment mark for the course.
In short, this is a very busy time of year for students and teachers as we work hard to finish off the first semester and get ready for the second. Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate by not throwing any snow days into the mix.

Tim Long praises SHDHS

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

It’s a long road from Exeter, Ontario to Los Angeles, California, but Tim Long found his way back. When he arrived, an entire school of fans awaited.
“If you keep trying and following your dream,” said Taryn Dougall of Exeter, “you can be successful like Tim.”
Tim Long’s success comes from his long association with the Simpsons, the animated series that has fans around the world. That fan base extends to South Huron District High School, where he graduated 20 years ago.
“It’s exciting to see him come back and talk to all the kids,” says dad Earl Long, whose work at Huron Tractor brought the family to the area; he and his wife Dorothy now live in London.
“We never thought we’d have a son who would end up writing for a television show that is as widely known. I would mention to people that he writes for the Simpsons and they wouldn’t believe me, so I keep a card of his in my wallet to prove that I’m not being dishonest.”
The Longs were celebrities by proxy at South Huron November 21 when their son visited the school with his wife Miranda. Celebrating their one-year anniversary weeks before, it was Miranda’s first time in Exeter. Commenting on the school and its services, she told the Strip it was impressive compared to her high school in New York City. Her husband agrees.
“South Huron is a really, really good school,” Tim said. “In my work I’ve ended up working with a lot of people who went to fancy schools in the States. They all have one thing in common. They’re not that bright. You really are getting a first-rate education and you’re getting it for free. A kid from Exeter can do anything, even me.”
Long also noted that growing up in the area influenced his writing, including an overnight stay at Exeter Public School during a blizzard that inspired the Skinner’s Sense of Snow episode. When asked who watches the Simpsons, students showed their support. They roared and cheered while watching Long’s favourite Simpsons moments, including Homer’s failed canyon jump, the land of chocolate, Homer in space, the gay steel mill, and Bart’s White Stripes tribute.
While criticized by some for its edgy content, Long defended the Simpsons for having a moral code stronger than many other shows on television.
“Simpsons is really pro-family,” he said. “The family stays together, they look after each other, Marge and Homer stay faithful to each other, and interestingly they’re also the only (characters) on TV that regularly attend church.”
Watching television may be fun for his teen fans, but Long insists they should look forward to the real fun – being an adult.
“People will tell you that your teenage years are the best years of your life. Those people are crazy. It gets better,” he said, giving words of encouragement for his South Huron fans.
“If nothing else, I prove that an overweight Grade 9er with no friends can go on to become a Hollywood big shot. Maybe you can, too.”

You can buy the iPod, but here are the gifts that will truly improve your school and home life in 2008

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn, SHDHS

As this is likely the last column I will write before Christmas, I thought maybe it would be appropriate to adopt a Christmas theme for this week’s column.
As Christmas approaches, my family members frequently ask me what I would like for Christmas, and I usually have great difficulty answering this question because there is nothing that I really need and the things that I want cannot be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. For me, Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, and the important gifts are health and happiness, not toys or tools. I get far more pleasure from giving to others than from receiving gifts myself – maybe that just means I’m getting old.
However, there are lots of things I could suggest as gifts for students. I’m sure their Christmas lists include cell phones and iPods, computers and clothing, video games and gift cards. And while I’m sure that any of these things would be appreciated, I don’t know that they will really make their lives any happier or better. Instead, I would suggest that parents consider the following gifts that are much cheaper but potentially much more valuable.
First, continue to give them your love, all of the time, even when they are driving you crazy. Give them encouragement, and praise them when they do well, but hold them accountable when they make mistakes. Be involved in their lives – know who their friends are and what they like to do when they get together. Give them freedom and the opportunity to earn your trust, but set reasonable expectations for their conduct. Again, when they make mistakes, talk to them about the mistakes and help them to learn from their own errors in judgement. Let them know that we all have lapses in judgement from time to time, but that the important thing is to learn from our errors and not make the same mistakes again. Finally, listen to them – we often emphasize the need to talk to young people, but it is more important that we listen to them to try to understand their values, their beliefs, their goals, and dreams.
To you students out there, however many there may be who read this column, there are some things you should give to your parents as well. First of all, keep in mind that unlike you, they don’t know everything yet and they will likely make mistakes from time to time. Be patient with them and give them the opportunity to explain to you what they expect of you. Give them the chance to be a part of your life, to spend time with you, and to talk to you, without rolling your eyes or storming off to your room. Give them respect and treat them the way you would like to be treated, even when you don’t see eye to eye. Accept what they have to offer and show that you appreciate everything that they do for you.
There are some gifts I would like to give to my staff as well if I could. I would give them more patience, lots of it, to help them deal with the ever-changing moods and needs of teenagers, and especially the issues that arise in the lives of teenagers that have nothing to do with school but seem to take centre-stage in the classroom. I would give them an extra dollop of understanding as well, to help them recognize that in the lives of teenagers, school is often not the first priority, and that they are still kids after all, even though some of them inhabit adult-size bodies. And finally, I would give them huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm to match that of their students. (And maybe a whip and a chair for those days when school seems like a three-ring circus.)
And not to let myself off the hook, I must say that school administrators need all of the above, perhaps in even larger doses.
Finally, let me close this off by asking everyone to stay safe over the Christmas holidays and to do whatever you can to make the lives of others richer, happier, and more fulfilling. Please keep in mind that no matter how difficult our lives seem from time to time, we are blessed to be living in a wonderful country, enjoying a standard of living of which billions of others in this world can only dream. So please continue to support the Huron County Christmas Bureau, the Salvation Army, the local food banks, and the countless other organizations that help those in need both here in Canada and around the world.
Enjoy your holidays and savour the time you have with family and friends. Relax and partake in all that the season has to offer. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all.

Last Friday students received their Semester One Mid-Term Reports and were asked to complete the Response Form that accompanies them. This form needs to be signed by a parent and returned to the students’ Day One, Period One teacher. We would like to have these forms returned to us by November 30 so that we can file them in the students’ Ontario Student Records file (OSR.) Students who were absent on Friday should see their Day One Period One teacher to get their report cards. Students who have a spare in first period can get their reports in the office if they were absent on Friday, and they should return their completed Response Forms to the office as well.
We received a little reminder from Mother Nature last Friday as well, letting us know that winter is not far away and that it is time to start getting ready. So, I thought that perhaps this week I should review our inclement weather policies and procedures.
The decision to cancel buses and close schools is made after consultation amongst bus contractors, the roads crews, and school administrators. We try to do this as early as possible so that we can announce the cancellations in a timely manner. Normally, we try to have a decision by 6:30 a.m. so that the announcements can be on the radio by 7:00. However, it is not always possible to do this. Snowsqualls are very unpredictable and sometimes we have relative calm up until 7:00 and then squalls set in, causing us to make the decision far later than we would like.
Our normal procedure when we cancel the buses is to close the elementary schools and keep the high school open for study purposes only for students and staff who can safely get there. This means that the building is open, but there will not be any classes, since the majority of our students are bus students and the majority of our staff live outside of the Exeter area. This is true for the elementary schools as well, and we do not want students or staff taking unnecessary risks trying to get to school in bad weather.
My rule of thumb with South Huron is that the school stays open unless the highways are closed or we lose power or water. Students can come in to pick up books or homework and to get help from any teachers who have made it in, but since most of our staff live out of town, there will be relatively few staff in the building on snow days.
Bus cancellations and school closures are announced in several ways. The notices are emailed to radio and television stations (provided we don’t lose our electricity), but the best source of information is our school or board web-site. Assuming that parents or students have internet access, the information can be found at one of the following web-sites: www.shdhs.ca, www.yourschools.ca, and www.ourschoolbuses.ca/delaysandcancellations.htm. All three of these web-sites should have the same information about which buses are cancelled and which schools are closed.
As I mentioned earlier, most of the radio and TV stations in the area will get the cancellation information as well, but we recommend that students, parents, and staff listen to either AM 980 in London or FM 102 in Wingham. In the event that we have to change or update the information, or in the event of a power outage that prevents us from emailing the information, these are the two stations that we will call.
I would like to caution students and parents about one source of information that was rather confusing last year. The A Channel announced bus and school cancellations by running a notice across the bottom of the TV screen. However, the announcement was rather general and their intent was for viewers to go to the A Channel web-site for more specific information. For example, if buses were cancelled or schools were closed anywhere in the Board, the announcement sometimes read “Avon Maitland District School Board: buses cancelled and schools closed.” They expected viewers to then go to their web-site or listen to their news telecasts to find out which buses were cancelled and which schools were closed. This created considerable confusion at times for some of our students and parents when schools in our area were open but other AMDSB schools were not. Hopefully that won’t happen this year.
Finally, I would like to remind students and parents of the AMDSB policy when bad weather arises after students have arrived at school. We do not generally send students home before the usual dismissal time. First of all, if the weather is bad and road conditions have deteriorated, the last place we want students is out on the road. We will instead keep them at school where it is safe and warm until the weather conditions improve and it is safe to send out the buses. Secondly, the local road crews know when our buses will be on the road, and they try to make sure that the roads have been cleared. If we send the buses out early, the roads may not have been plowed. Lastly, we need to ensure that someone is at home, particularly for younger students, and we do not want to risk sending them to a home where the doors may be locked and no one home. In a worst-case scenario, we would keep students at the school or find billets in town, rather than risk sending them out in horrible weather.
If you have questions or concerns about these procedures, please contact me or your elementary school principal.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

In a couple of columns recently, I have been rather critical of some aspects of student behaviour at South Huron. This week, however, I would like to start by commending the student body for its conduct at the Remembrance Day service we held last Friday. The students were attentive, quiet, and respectful throughout the service and I am very proud of their outstanding conduct.
I am also very proud of the high quality of the Remembrance Day assembly, something that we have come to expect at South Huron. Credit for this goes to David MacLeod, head of our Canada and World Studies Department, who works tirelessly every year to put together a service of exceptional quality. Additional credit must be given to the many students who took part – the 41 students who represented the individuals on our Honour Roll, Leanne Hoffman and Melissa MacLeod who read the names, Christine O’Reilly and Tim Dionne who put together a wonderful slide show presentation on the Vimy Pilgrimage, the students and staff from the Vimy trip, the choir led by Ms. Milner, and the band under the direction of Mr. Moore. I would like to thank all of these individuals for contributing to an outstanding service.
I would also like to thank the members of the R E Pooley, Branch 167, of the Royal Canadian Legion for their participation in our service. Their presence at the service every year makes it more real and meaningful for our students and contributes significantly to the impact of the service. We are very pleased to have them involved every year.
I would like to remind everyone that the School Council is hosting a community forum this week on drug awareness. It will take place in the school library on Wednesday, November 14, starting at 7:00 p.m. We have invited Constable Dave Matheson, a drug enforcement officer for the Huron OPP, and members of the local OPP detachment to speak to us about drug use in the community. This will be a good opportunity for parents to find out about current trends in drug use and learn what signs to watch for, including what various drugs and drug paraphernalia look like. We invite you to join us for what should be a very valuable and informative session.
On Monday, November 19, Glenn McGregor from the AMDSB board office, will be at the school to talk to students about OYAP, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. Glenn provides liaison between schools and industry in our area and has considerable knowledge about apprenticeship opportunities in a variety of fields. Students who are interested in attending his presentations must sign up this week in the Guidance Office. A session for Grade 12 students will take place in Room 118, starting at 12:45, and a session for Grade 11 students will follow at 2:05. For students considering apprenticeships, this will be a good opportunity to get information and ask questions.
Finally, we will soon be starting our annual campaign in support of the Huron County Christmas Bureau, which provides assistance to families in need. We will be encouraging students and staff to donate toys, food, clothing, and cash in support of this very worthy program. The local Christmas Bureau location this year is Exeter United Church, and donations will be accepted in the week of December 10 to 14. If you know of a family that would benefit from assistance from the Christmas Bureau, you are encouraged to call 1-800-265-5198, extension 3271. Your support of this program will be greatly appreciated.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

November is a very busy month for both staff and students at South Huron. This week we are preparing for two very important annual events: the Christmas Child shoebox campaign and Remembrance Day. Students and staff have been asked to put together shoeboxes filled with small gifts for children in poverty-stricken and war-torn countries in other parts of the world. The shoeboxes will be collected on Thursday, November 8, counted, and prepared for shipping to recipients around the world. We encourage students and staff to take part in this campaign every year for two reasons: first, it brings a little bit of joy to children in unfortunate circumstances; and, secondly, it helps us to appreciate everything that we have in our part of the world.
On Friday morning, we will hold our annual Remembrance Day service, starting at 9:00 in the large gym. Once again we will have representatives of the local Legion in attendance to take part in our service. This is a very important event as we pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who have served our country and fought for the freedoms that we enjoy. In particular, we pay homage to the young men and women from the South Huron area who have served our country, especially the forty-one young men who lost their lives in World War One, World War Two, and the Korean Conflict. In November we celebrate the character attribute, courage, and this is a wonderful way to emphasize the importance of this character trait.
On Thursday of this week we will be holding a coffee house in support of Habitat for Humanity. There will be a variety of student performances, starting at 7:30 in the drama room. Tickets are $8.00 and must be purchased in advance. Attendees will be able to enjoy coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and baked goods and some excellent entertainment. And remember, BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug.)
On Tuesday, November 13, the Avon Maitland District School Board will be holding its regular meeting in the library at SHDHS. The public portion of the meeting should get under way at about 7:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, November 14, the School Council is holding a community forum on drug awareness. This will be an excellent opportunity for parents and students to get current, accurate information on drug concerns in our area. We will have a representative from the OPP in attendance to talk about drug trends in our area and the warning signs that parents should know concerning possible drug use. We have also asked the police to bring the drug kit, which contains examples of drugs and drug paraphernalia so that parents know what to look for. We encourage parents in particular to attend this session, which is aimed at promoting greater awareness of drug issues within our community.
On Friday, November 16, we will be issuing the Semester One Mid-Term Report Card. Students will receive their report cards in their Day One, Period One class where they will be asked to complete the Response Form portion of the report card. This form needs to be signed by a parent and returned to the student’s Day One, Period One teacher by Friday, November 30.
On Wednesday, November 21, we have a very special visitor coming to South Huron. Tim Long, a Panther alumnus and writer for the television show, The Simpsons, will return to his old high school to speak to the student body. Tim is a very successful writer and his work will be well-known to our students though they may not be aware of Tim’s involvement in the show. The Simpsons is a very popular show amongst our students, and we are looking forward to hearing Tim speak in his return to high school after a twenty-year absence.
Finally, in the last week of November grad photos will be taken, and graduating students are reminded to listen for announcements about arranging sittings with the photographer. We will be holding our annual Battle of the Bands competition in that week as well; so, students who plan to take part should start rehearsing their acts.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

Two weeks ago we held a Career Week at South Huron to promote awareness among the students of the many career options open to them, especially the careers available right here in Huron County. The Career Week was sponsored by the School Council and funded by a Parents Reaching Out grant that the School Council received from the Ministry of Education. Over the course of the week, students attended sessions on small business and entrepreneurship, future opportunities in Huron County, apprenticeships and non-traditional careers, financial planning, private colleges, a career fair, and opportunities in agriculture.
I would like to thank the many individuals from local businesses, industries, and institutions who gave of their time in support of this venture. The afternoon sessions were very well attended and I think the students learned a great deal from them. I know that I learned more about career opportunities in Huron in this one week than I have in many, many years, and we are very grateful to all the individuals who took the time to share their expertise with us. Unfortunately, with the exception of the session on post-secondary financing, the evening sessions were not very well attended, but the information provided at these sessions was extremely valuable.
I would like to thank as well the many teachers who gave up class time to bring their classes to the afternoon sessions, and to Isaac Moore, Warren Elder, and Mitch Boyle, who helped us every day with the sound system and presentation technology. Finally, I would like to thank Jim Brintnell and Karen Brown of the School Council for their hard work and support in organizing, promoting, and running the Career Week activities.
On a less than positive note, we had some disappointing behaviour at our Halloween Dance last week. A number of students chose to smuggle alcohol into the dance and were drinking while attending the dance. Several students were caught and have been suspended from school. However, we have pretty reliable information that there were many more who escaped detection, some of whom were identified but left the dance when they realized that some of their peers had been found out. This incident has disappointed me greatly and has caused me to re-evaluate several aspects of our school dances and our methods of supervision. As you may know, we have police at our dances and one of the things that they routinely do is check bags and backpacks as students are entering the school. We also have breathalysers that we use at the door. Sometimes we breathalyse everyone, a practice for which we and several other schools have been criticized, and at other times we do random sampling. In fact, one of the reasons that I chose to get breathalysers in the first place was due to parent complaints when their children were suspended that many others were drinking as well, and why weren’t they caught and suspended?
As well, staff members circulate in the gym and in the halls around the gym to monitor student behaviour during the dance. They also check the bathrooms periodically, but this practice often results in complaints from students who feel that their privacy is being violated. Perhaps now they will understand why we need to do so.
Despite all these precautions, some students did smuggle alcohol into the dance, which was probably made easier due to the fact that this was a costume dance. As I indicated to several people following this incident, if we reach the point where we have to search students and breathalyse them on the way out as well as on the way in, then it is time to discuss why we are having dances in the first place.
As a result of this incident, I have cancelled the dance scheduled for February, and we will be breathalysing everyone who attends dances in the future. As well, there will be no more costume dances. This may seem a harsh reaction and it does penalize students who did nothing wrong, but I feel the need to send a statement to the student body on this issue. Should we continue to have problems of this nature, then we will have to consider not having dances at all.
The Provincial Code of Conduct is very clear – students are not to attend school functions under the influence of alcohol, and suspension is the recommended consequence. In fact, if a student is caught supplying alcohol to another student, then the principal must consider an expulsion. Please note that it does say “consider,” but students need to be aware that this is a possible consequence should they be caught in such a situation. Hopefully, this is not a decision I will ever have to consider.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

By now, parents should have received Interim Reports, which were mailed out last Thursday. While this is not an official report card, it should give parents an indication of how their sons or daughters are doing so far this year. As indicated on the newsletter that accompanied the Interim Report, the main purpose of the report is to give parents a “snapshot” of student progress in preparation for the first Parent-Teacher Interview night, which is this Thursday, October 25. Parents are asked to have their children arrange interview times with any teachers they wish to see. The interviews will take place in the cafeteria and small gym from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The first official report card of the year, the Semester One Mid-Term Report, will be distributed on Friday, November 16.

Re: personal electronics
Many students bring MP3 players, digital cameras, PSPs, and cell phones to school every day, which is fine as long as these items are used appropriately and are looked after by the students. Our policies and expectations are outlined in the red planners that all students received in the first week of school.
Students are permitted to have cell phones at school as long as they are not using them during class time or in assemblies. We expect students to leave them in their lockers or turn them off when they come to class. Students who are caught using cell phones during class time or in assemblies, especially to send text messages, can expect to have them confiscated for the remainder of the day. For a first offence, generally the phone will be kept until the end of the day at which point the student will have it returned on the understanding that the rules will be followed. Should there be subsequent infractions, the phone may be kept until a parent can come to the school to retrieve it. Should the misuse continue, more serious consequences could include a suspension from school.
A similar policy exists for MP3 players, with the exception that some teachers permit students to listen to music while doing class work, as long as it is not interfering with the work of other students or distracting students from the work at hand. Each teacher is free to choose whether or not to allow MP3 players in the classroom as it has been reported that some students are more focused on their work while listening to music.
Students generally have accepted this policy, but a bigger issue has emerged – students are increasingly reporting to us that their cell phones, MP3 players, PSPs, or digital cameras have gone missing. With the tremendous number of these devices in the hands of students, it is not possible for us to ensure that all of them are looked after, especially if students have left them in classrooms or in the cafeteria. Some have had them taken from the phys. ed. change rooms or from their lockers and some have gone missing after being loaned to another student. There is little that we can do if one of them goes missing other than check with students who may have seen someone pick the item up. Most of these devices are small and easily concealed, making it almost impossible for us to catch someone who has taken one unless a witness comes forward. And if we find someone with a device that matches the description of the lost or stolen item, it is still a challenge to verify that it is the missing one and not simply an identical one, especially if the songs, games, or personal information have been removed. If we know the serial number or if the item has been engraved, it is much easier to get the item returned to its rightful owner.
I am not suggesting that we don’t respond to the loss of these items. In fact, we spend a considerable amount of time trying to find such items when they go missing, and sometimes we are able to get them safely returned to the rightful owners, but as the items get smaller and smaller and more and more prevalent, our chances of success are diminishing.

Tips for students:
• Don’t bring personal electronic items to school unless there is a good reason to do so.
• If you bring them, mark or engrave them so they are easy to identify.
• Don’t loan your devices to anyone, no matter how much you trust the person.
• Keep devices in your locker, as long as no one knows your combination. Rarely are lockers broken into: most often someone else knows the student’s combination and the combination has been shared with others without the owner’s consent. Don’t share your combination and make sure no one is watching when you open your lock.
• Don’t take personal electronics, money, jewelry, etc. into the phys. ed. change rooms. Leave in your locker or with your phys. ed. teacher to be locked in an office. Leaving the item inside a shoe or in a book bag will not ensure that it is there when the owner returns. Students are cautioned every year not to leave money or valuables in the change rooms, but they do not always heed this advice.

We know that these items are important to the students and that they want to have them with them at all times. We have accepted this fact, but we would encourage them to take care to make sure that the devices are looked after properly and used appropriately. Whatever parents can do to reinforce this message would be greatly appreciated.

Futures Week helps students figure that out with workshops and speakers

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn, SHDHS

Next week the school, in conjunction with the School Council, is hosting a series of presentations intended to help students figure out what they may want to do with their lives. The program, called “Life After High School: What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” or Futures Week, for short, covers a range of post-secondary options from college, university and the workplace to small business and entrepreneurship. Our goal is to make students more aware of the range of possibilities beyond high school and to encourage them to explore the available options.
The opening session on Monday afternoon (October 15) will focus on small business and entrepreneurship. We have subtitled this session “Small Business: Do It Yourself,” and have invited a number of local entrepreneurs and small business people for a panel discussion on running your own business. We have asked these individuals to talk about what inspired them to start up their businesses, how they got started, and what challenges they have faced in running their own businesses. We hope to encourage students to consider the prospect of working for themselves and to consider the pros and cons of being your own boss.
On Monday evening we have lined up a panel of experts to talk about where we are headed in a session called “The Future: Emerging Opportunities.” There is no doubt that we are currently trying to prepare young people for jobs that don’t even exist yet in a marketplace and world of work that are ever-changing. We have asked our panel of local experts to discuss the future of manufacturing, tourism, business, and agriculture in our area and in the province so that students and parents can be more aware of the skills and knowledge that may be required to be successful in the years ahead.
Our focus on Tuesday will be the world of work as we explore apprenticeships and non-traditional careers, occupations that students may be overlooking or of which they may be completely unaware. From journalism to politics, and accounting to engineering, this session is intended to get students thinking about a variety of occupations that they may not be considering, including niche careers that satisfy a very particular market demand. This session will also explore the world of apprenticeships with a particular focus on the growing demand for skilled trades people.
Wednesday’s sessions will be devoted to financial planning – how to pay for post-secondary education. Marilyn Davies from King’s College will be on hand for both the afternoon and evening sessions to talk about OSAP and budgeting for college and university. In addition, we have invited advisors from local financial institutions to talk about other sources of funding, from educational lines of credit to Registered Education Savings Plans. The afternoon session is intended primarily for graduating students who will be going on to post-secondary education next fall (and their parents), while the evening session will be open to everyone.
On Thursday afternoon, the focus will be “Learning Outside the Box,” with a focus on private colleges and alternative sources of learning, including the new Lake Huron Learning Collaborative, which is providing university courses in Goderich. There will also be representation from the Canadian Armed Forces and students will be able to gather information about sources of education beyond community colleges and universities. On Thursday evening there will be a career fair with representation from a range of businesses, industries and educational institutions.
Finally, on Friday, our focus will be on agriculture where “Dirt is Only the Beginning.” The focus in this final session will be on the diversity of careers available in the agricultural sector, with representation from a variety of local agribusinesses.
As you can see, we have tried to offer something for everyone. While the afternoon sessions will be aimed primarily at our senior students, parents are also welcome to attend and the evening sessions are open to everyone. The afternoon sessions on Monday and Friday are scheduled to run from 12:45 to 3:20, while the Tuesday through Thursday afternoon sessions will be in the last period of the day, from 2:05 to 3:20. All of the evening sessions will begin at 7:00 and run until approximately 9:00. Senior classes are being invited to attend the afternoon sessions, but students may also sign up for them individually if the entire class is not attending.
A complete schedule of the Futures Week sessions can be found on our school web site, www.shdhs.ca, under the heading “Career Week at SHDHS.”

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn, SHDHS principal

Although it is still quite early in the school year, it is already time for senior students to start thinking about post-secondary life, especially if they are planning to attend university or college. The annual University Information Program takes place Monday, October 1, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Goderich District Collegiate Institute. This program is open to students in all grades, but it is especially important for Grade 11 and 12 students who are considering university as a post-secondary destination. All of Ontario’s universities will be represented at the UIP, and this will be a great opportunity for students to speak to university representatives. While many universities will be sending representatives to South Huron this fall, not all of them will; so, for many of our students this will be the only local opportunity to ask questions about programs in some of these schools.
Fanshawe College will be holding its College Information Program two weeks later, with an evening session on October 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. and a morning program from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on October 17. This will be a good opportunity for students and parents to see what community college programs have to offer. We encourage students and parents to explore these options.
During that same week, from October 15 to 19, our School Council, in conjunction with the school, will be holding a “Futures Week,” during which students and parents will have the chance to gather some very important career planning information. We have a series of afternoon and evening sessions planned, focusing on many different career areas, from entrepreneurship and small business to industry and agriculture. There are events planned for every day that week and we encourage parents and students to attend the sessions, which we hope will provide some very valuable information. More information on the sessions can be found on our school web page: http://www.shdhs.ca. Just click on the link “Career Week at SHDHS.”
After you have perused the Career Week information, you might want to check out a new feature on our web-page – the Panthercasts. So far, we have three student-created podcasts posted on the site, featuring interviews with some of our staff about extracurricular program opportunities at SHDHS. More episodes will be added each week as we explore the communication possibilities of podcasting.
We also have two other important events coming up in the new future, both on Friday, October 5. In the morning we will be holding our annual Academic Awards assembly to recognize last year’s achievements for students in Grades 9 to 12. On Friday evening, we will hold our annual Commencement ceremony, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the large gym. Students who graduated last year will receive their Ontario Secondary School Diplomas, and we will hand out scholarships, awards, and bursaries for outstanding achievement, leadership, and citizenship.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone again of the upcoming School Council fund-raiser, the Parachute Plunge. On October 19, a skydiver will land on the soccer field at SHDHS and five lucky individuals will win prizes based on where he touches down.
The field will be divided into 529 squares, each of which we hope to have sold for $20: the person who “owns” the square on which he lands will win an all-expense paid trip for four to Toronto to see Dirty Dancing, courtesy of Ellison Travel (a $1500 value with travel on Via Rail, four tickets to the show, accommodations at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and a Keg Restaurant gift certificate.) Additional prizes of $1000, $500, $200, and $100 will be awarded, again based on where the parachutist touches down. The squares will be assigned by a random draw following the closure of ticket sales.
All proceeds from this event will be used to support ongoing School Council programs: Commencement Awards, Student of the Month Awards, and our community forums. Tickets may be purchased from School Council members, at the main office in the school, and at Curves. We hope that you will support this venture and join us to watch the “plunge” on October 19 at 11:45 a.m. (inclement weather date – October 22.)

By Casey Lessard

The biggest change at South Huron District High School this year is a five-period schedule for Grades 11 and 12. It means their schedules will rotate, with some students sitting in class while most of the school is having lunch. Some days, students will have lunch as their first or last period.
“In a couple of areas we have too many classes for the eight sections that we had before. For some of our tech classes (especially digital audio editing), we needed a shop for nine or 10 periods when in the old system we only had eight. So instead of cutting classes and having kids not get the courses they wanted, I decided to add a period to each day in each semester.”
Reaburn is doing his part to ease the burden and give students more course choices.
“Ever since I became a vice-principal (13 years), I’ve taught a class every year but one. I think it’s helpful for principal to do that. I got into this to become a teacher and when I got into administration that is the one thing I missed was the classroom contact with the kids. So I choose to teach. Often I do it to allow one more class to be run in the timetable. It does help keep me in touch with the kids.”
With an enrolment of 832, South Huron will have a few more bodies than last year, but overall, enrolment has remained relatively steady at about 800 students.
Five new teachers came on board this year: Evelyn Elder (social science), Heather Foran (career studies and students’ success), Matt Weston (technology), Jacqui Vercruyssen (communications technology) and Nick Seebach (science). Funding for the school’s only new course offering (Native studies) was announced in June.
The school is doing what it can to make sure students are always in touch with their long-term goals.
“There’s more emphasis on helping the student plan his or her career,” says guidance counsellor Barb Poole. “They now take a compulsory course in grade 10, which is a half credit in career studies. It also helps them select their courses for Grades 11 and 12 once they get some idea of what they want to do post-secondary, whether it’s go directly to work, go to university, do an apprenticeship or go to college.”
Eventually the school will have to designate a high skills major, similar to a major at university. Each school in the board will have one, and Reaburn is currently monitoring pilot projects across the board to find the right fit.
“You can focus on a particular area,” Reaburn says, “for example, construction technology, and kids will do a number of courses in construction technology and they may take a co-op placement that’s connected to construction technology as well. There’s a high skills major in manufacturing, one in agriculture, one for arts and culture. The kids will get a designation on their graduation diploma, a red seal, that indicates that they have a high-skills major.”
Until then, the staff is focused on teaching all students the importance of good life skills.
“Character education is something that has come to us in the last couple of years,” says vice-principal Petra Goetz. “Fairness, honesty, empathy, respect, integrity, courage, optimism, compassion, perseverance, and responsibility. We’re always talking with the kids about those things.”
Sometimes that doesn’t work, and students are welcomed into Goetz’s office.
“I’m very much of the philosophy that discipline also has a component of compassion to it, but also framing it for the student so that they can see that their action has had a ripple effect on other people.”
If a student is having trouble, Poole says they should approach an adult they trust.
“The biggest thing students should know is that they should be open to asking questions and asking for help. We want them to be aware that we are here to support them whatever their need. We can hook them up with tutors if they have academic concerns. We don’t necessarily have all of the answers here but we are able to refer them to other services in the area, in the county and in town.”
Goetz emphasizes the importance of attendance.
“Parents have to let their children know in a clear and understood message that they need to attend school regularly until age 18, until they graduate or at that point they can choose not to attend. That’s just the law.”
Reaburn has a simple list of suggestions for students to enjoy their time at South Huron.
“Work hard,” he says. “Get involved. Don’t let things pile up. Stay on top of things. Keep yourself organized. Use your time wisely. And make the best of the opportunities that you have.”