News Leader News
STUDENT RECEIVES HUGE AWARD
Princeton Secondary School Grade 12 Student Peter Newman received word on March 1st that he was the recipient of the Seymour Schulich Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship.
The award amount is $20,000.00. Newman, who applied for the Scholarship online through the University of Calgary's Student Awards and Financial Aid Department, has been officially admitted to the Schulich School of Engineering and has registered for a full course load - as required in the engineering program for the 2006-07 Fall and Winter sessions.
This is only the beginning for Newman, who's award is also renewable for two more years of the program which means he could receive $60,000.00 over the next three years providing he meets criteria including a minimum grade point average of 3.50 in the previous Fall and Winter Sessions and maintains a full course load as required in the Engineering program.
"Your record is excellent, and we would be proud to have you as a student," says Linda Sharma, Director of the Student Awards and Financial Aid Department in a letter to Newman.
The massive size of the award has faculty at PSS buzzing about the news, which Newman seems to be taking in stride.
PSS ISSUES TERM 2 HONOUR ROLL
Princeton Secondary School has announced it's Term 2 2005/06 Honour Roll. Students with 86-100% are named to the Principal's List, 73-85% the Gold List and 67-72% earns an Honourable Mention.Grade 8 Principal's List: Helen Bibby, Makenzie Johnston, Alyssa Larsen, Danielle Hassell, Daniel Howarth, Kelcy Banks, Cayden Johnson, Alexa Musgrove, Vian Maritz and Jared Fenrick.
Grade 8 Gold List: Karis Bergsma, Mitchell Lamoureux, Julia Crimmon, Colton Williams, Emily Langstroth, Brittany Folk, Nora Freeman, Cody MacDonald, Riley Brooks, Nicholas Yee, Stephanie Wright, Rachel Hoiland, Cori White, Keaton Phillips, Neko Bertucci, Kelsi Walton, Joseph Powell and Bryce Markin.
Grade 8 Honourable Mention: Caitlin Merenick, Katie Liberatore, Mariah Liddicoat, Marlee Rice, Kiel Liberatore, Kaysha Milligan, Ashlee Cathro, Lindsay Mervyn, Milen Wilkinson, Natasha Clifton, Deseree Bruneau and Shayla McClain.
Grade 9 Principal's List: Rachel Vinthers
Grade 9 Gold List: Allana Garton, Carley Brewer, Rachel Jung, Katelyn McInroy, Elizabeth Szekely, Brittani Clifton, Thomas Smyth, Jenny Laska, Arielle Carlton and Chloe Littlejohn.
Grade 9 Honourable Mention: Dawn Campbell, Clint Cook, Chelsie Clifton, Rick Nicholls, Dylan Bielby, Amanda Buhler, Brett Dore, Samantha Goodman and Kristy Jack.
Grade 10 Principal's List: Claire Bibby, Julia Halipchuk, Madison Johnston, Kaila Musgrove and Candace Klassen.
Grade 10 Gold List: Chantelle White, laine Lueke, Tia Tolmie, Tara Plecas, Brian Shewchuk, Amber Peppler, Ty Senger, Samantha Wasylenchuk, Russ Tjernstrom, Courtney Webb, Kimberley Capp, Paul Houben, Marcel Lamoureux and Michelle Derkson.
Grade 10 Honourable Mention: Kelsey MacDonald, Cody Wilson, Philip Langstroth, Justin Hilton, Jennifer Dunn, Laura Robbins, Meagan Thomas, Cory Berkers, Kevin Alvarenga, Michelle White, Cassandra Morin and Kayley Thomas.
Grade 11 Principal's List: Ian Stout.
Grade 11 Gold List: Amy Burke, Steve Kovacs, Denis Gutierrez-Ogrinc, Jennifer Pattison, Bradley Haigh, Jordan Lane, Miranda Grigg, Alex Rempel, Julia Darel, Dylan Bertucci and MaryAnn Campbell.
Grade 11 Honourable Mention: Chad Hohmann, Annalyn MacWhirter, Keith Vinthers, Blake Bertucci, Chris Kozak, Christina Smyth, Tyson Beaupre and Josh Brooks.
Grade 12 Principal's List: Peter Newman and Cullen Smart.
Grade 12 Gold List: Shelby Carlson, Jennifer Bailey, Jeremy Buhler, Jeremy Wagner, Lewis Smith, Kassondra Crimmon, Natalie Desrochers, Stephanie Nicholls, Jerrid Lay, Rebecca Donohoe, Renee Willis, Tanner Gunn and Christian Szekely.
Grade 12 Honourable Mention: Justine Pelly, Jana McKenzie, Nicole Thomas, J-Lee White, Stephanie Boyce and Nadine Price.
RESIDENTS MUST WAIT A YEAR
A total of four residents of Bill Miner Way will have to wait another year before their street receives paving. A letter from Tony and Eleonora Frey, Daniel A. Worsley and Andy Ainslie was discussed at the March 6th meeting of Town Council.The letter states, "Once again the Spring is almost here and again for the fourth year we wish to request solving the problem on Bill Miner Way. That means the blacktopping of the 240-foot long street and the proper drainage of the hill. The springs on the hill are getting every year larger and the water from them and the melting snow make the surface of the street very soft."
Mayor Randy McLean addressed the issue with a plan, but it will take some time and requires patience from the residents making the request.
"Bill Miner Way is an off street of Ingerbelle," McLean explained and stated the procedure for the upcoming year will include paving of Ingerbelle with road reconstruction of Bill Miner Way. In other words, fortifying the road, building ditches and culverting for this year. All of this will require a year for 'settling' and then in 2007 Bill Miner Way would be included in the paving program.
DEER PROBLEM REARS HEAD, AGAIN
Princeton Town Council received a letter from Otter Valley Fish and Game Club stating the club is, "very concerned about the deer that are feeding on the garbage at the dump. We feel this to be completely un-natural and very unhealthy."The club asked Council if they had considered preventative measures to rid the landfill site of hungry deer and offered to be of assistance to the solution, if needed.
Councillor Jim Manion admitted at the March 6th Town Council meeting that the problem is unique. "This is a difficult thing, short of putting up an 8-foot fence."
Manion jokingly referred to possible tourism marketing potential of promoting the deer activity, "It could possibly offset the cost of operating the landfill," he commented, which amused everyone in Council Chambers.
Council eventually settled on making inquiries of other rural communities to see how they have dealt with the issue and to include Princeton District Conservation Officer Al Lay for input and consultation on the matter.
STUDENTS DARE TO BE AWARE
Last Wednesday the News Leader joined Mr. Miller's Grade 5 Class at Vermilion Forks Elementary School for their 1:00 PM DARE Class.
It wasn't what we expected.
First, a little history. In 1994 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police embarked on a National program which targeted youth within Canadian communities in an attempt to educate them in regards to drugs in all their components.
DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, was designed in 1983 by a Police Chief in Los Angeles who's son fell victim to the drug underworld.
DARE is a school-based drug and violence prevention program, taught to elementary school children by specially trained uniformed law enforcement officers.
DARE's ultimate goal is to provide children with alternative choices and options when dealing with peer pressures that they face every day. The program not only challenges the youth, but provides them with personal tools and insight which assists them in making healthy lifestyle choices.
The DARE program has been called an amazing tool that has been incredibly effective throughout 56 countries benefitting over 36-million children.
Locally, Princeton RCMP received input during their environmental scanning process that identified drugs as Princeton's number one concern for the past three years.
"The members of the Princeton RCMP have undertaken significant pro-active measures to help combat this problem." says Princeton RCMP Detachment Commander Sgt. Kurt Lozinski.
"However, enforcement is only part of the solution. Studies have shown that a healthy balance of enforcement and education is the only effective way to deal with this issue."
In 2003 the Princeton Detachment lost its two trained DARE Officers due to transfers. This is a problem most police detachments face and also affected how the education element was delivered in Keremeos area schools.
In November 2005, Cst. Mike Leiding from the Princeton RCMP Detachment successfully completed training and became qualified to become the Princeton DARE Instructor.
The DARE program was reintroduced in Princeton schools in January of this year.
There are currently 48 Grade 5 students in Vermilion Forks Elementary taking the program along with Grade 1's at John Allison Elementary and Hedley Primary School bringing the total close to 100 children actively participating in the DARE 10 Lesson structure.
Cst. Leiding describes the program in a single sentence.
"It is about drugs, but it gives kids lifeskills and the proper skills to handle things and situations that come their way."
He is also happy with the response.
"The DARE Program is up and running and it's going great."
The program includes a partnership with Princeton and District Drug and Alcohol Counselor Paul Huycke and revolves around common sense solutions to everyday peer pressures.
"It gives them (the students) the tools to make healthy lifestyle choices," Leiding adds.
It sounded interesting enough for us to sit through the hour long lesson last week.
Mr. Miller's Grade 5's are a curious bunch we discover when Cst. Leiding pulls a few questions out of the 'DARE Box' - a colourfully decorated box where open questions can be submitted anonymously by class members.
The short period of time it takes to answer the questions also allows everyone in the room time to settle down and get prepared for the week's lesson.
The first question out of the DARE box is 'Have you ever shot a guy before?'
Leiding responds by saying he hasn't and hopes he doesn't have to.
The second questions is 'What made you become a police officer?'
The answer revolved around family members involved in police work, "I thought the job sounded incredibly interesting and I wanted to help young kids."
Another question asks if he's made a drug bust.
"I love drug busts," Leiding says with enthusiasm and explains he was able to make one recently as part of a traffic stop.
The last question - If smoking is bad for you, why are manufacturers allowed to make cigarettes? - creates a classroom discussion where it is decided that making money has got a lot to do with why some things that may not seem right are allowed to happen.
Then Leiding leads the class into a short review of the previous DARE Lesson on Inhalants, or as one student describes, "Drugs you can breath in."
Lesson #5 is titled Peer Pressure and Mr. Miller's Grade 5's explore what qualities make a good friend in something identified as Friendship Foundations.
The list from students included such important elements as being able to keep secrets, loyalty, being nice and sharing some of the same interests.
One student added, "They listen to you."
Leiding liked that answer, "That's actually the one I was waiting for," he said and then asked the class about how it feels when someone in a conversation isn't really listening.
"When they are listening to you that means they are connecting with you and that is a good thing."
The students were then asked to look in their workbooks to the page that outlined what was called a Friendship Circle - places where you make friends - with suggestions including at church, school, through sporting activities, clubs, etc.
"We also know what does not constitute a friend," Leiding offered and the class listed ways of identifying someone who is not a friend.
The lesson moved into Peer Pressure, which a student described as, "When someone you know tries to pressure you to do something you don't want to do."
"Not all peer pressure is wrong," Leiding stated and gave examples of positive peer pressure and reminded students they should have the DARE Decision-making Model in mind - more on that later.
"You need to have some choices in your head and be able to have an answer," he told them.
"It'll make it easier to make the right decision."
Leiding then read a short story about some kids being offered cigarettes from an acquaintance. This lead to a discussion on what would the students do if they were in that situation.
This was a time to exercise the DARE Decision-making model to help the students determine what to do.
It's a pretty simple concept where young people facing a situation where they need to come up with the right decision can turn for help.
The first element is 'DEFINE' - in this instance the problem was being facing with smoking.
Next is 'ASSESS' - or what choices are available for possible responses.
Third is 'RESPOND' - making a responsible response, one that can be backed up ("No, I don't want a smoke because it can kill me" for example).
Last is 'EVALUATE' - did you react in the right manner? If so, why?
"It helps you think about it before you have to do anything and hopefully you'll do the right thing," Leiding says about the DARE model.
The lesson ended with an exercise asking each student to describe, in their workbooks, what peer pressure feels like to them.
Then the floor was given to Princeton and District Drug and Alcohol Counselor Paul Huycke.
We picked the right day to sit in on a DARE Class. Huycke explained he had started smoking at the age of 11 and although he quit 30 years ago, the damage to his lungs had already been done.
Huycke has emphysema - a chronic lung disease often caused by smoking.
He described how quickly he ends up short of breath and how much it bothers him to not be able to do things he used to.
Then he shared his collection of visual aids with the class - encapsulated human lungs - some with cancer, some with other problems resulting from smoking.
The visuals worked very well in hammering home the importance of not smoking.
The DARE Program in Princeton would not be possible without the generous support of numerous local businesses and individuals.
The list includes Dairy Queen, Sparetime Holdings, Doug's Homestead, Stevens & Stevens, Princeton Co-Gen Corporation, Peoples Pharmacy, Stan Turner, The Source, Princeton Lions Club, Ponderosa Motel, Kal Tire, Town of Princeton, Century 21 Princeton Realty and the Princeton Hospital Auxiliary.
If your child is taking the DARE Program, ask them what they are learning and encourage them to share with you the messages they are picking up in the program.
The Grade 5's will receive t-shirts in a Graduation following the completion of the tenth lesson in the series.
The ceremony is tentatively set for mid-April.
