The District 16 Spelling Bee was held Friday last at Croft Elementary School with a total of 100 participants from kindergarten to grade 8. The respective winners are: Kindergarten - Rayann Hussein Gretna Green, Grade 1 - Dustin Stewart Millerton, Grade 2 - Griffin Doucet Croft, Grade 3 - Travis Stewart Millerton, Grade 4 - Isaac Tozer Croft, Grade 5 - Aiyana Augustine Croft, Grade 6 - James MacMillan – Millerton, Grade 7 - Kristen Trevors - Dr. Losier and Grade 8 - Nathaniel Pitcher - NSER.
Schools throughout District 16 have held their annual science fairs for 2011 and their schools’ top projects have moved on to the district level expositions which were held over the last two weeks. The judges at the district fairs have been very pleasantly surprised and impressed with the quality of the student research. Many of the questions investigated were the result of student curiosity. The experiments designed were well thought out, variables were identified, controlled and tested for. Conclusions were drawn based on the evidence.
A video conference with Dr. Victoria Hipkin of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was an eye opening experience for grade 5 students at Gretna Green Elementary School this past Friday. Dr. Hipkin, a science specialist with CSA, was able to talk “face to face” with the students and answer their questions regarding earth’s atmosphere, planets and conditions on the moon. She also led the students through an experiment that attempted to duplicate conditions on the surface of Mars, which taught that many of the geological processes on planet Earth are also at work on the “Red Planet”.
On this past Saturday, once again the kitchens of Miramichi Valley High School were filled with the aromas of wonderful dishes prepared by the contestants in the annual District 16 Culinary Technology Competition. Seven students from James M. Hill High and Miramichi Valley High, chopped, stirred, poured, sprinkled, fried, steamed and baked all morning to prepare a main course and dessert to be tasted and examined by judges; Chefs Graham Tricket and Ryan Goldie.
Grade 11 English students of Mrs. Krista Cabel at Miramichi Valley High School received a challenge recently. An assignment they were given required them to write a profile about an individual they are not acquainted with, using information collected by means of an interview with the “stranger”. While some students developed interesting and authentic stories gathered from war veterans, police detectives, prison employees and doctors, amongst others, student Shauna Sweeney reached outside the community and contacted her hero, former NHL hockey player Theo Fleury.
Many school students of District 16 have been enjoying the trails of the Miramichi Cross Country Ski Club this winter under the direction of their teachers and volunteer members of the club. Although most of the young skiers have been from local elementary schools, middle school and high school students have also had an enjoyable introduction to the life-time recreational activity that is considered to be one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise.
The Miramichi Kinsmen and School District 16 are pleased to accept film entries for the first annual Kin Film Festival. All School District 16 students are invited to participate. Films can be submitted in one of two categories: Open and The Kinsmen Category. The top 10 films in each category will be screened on May 7th, 2011 at Miramichi Empire Studio 5. Cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 will be awarded for the winners in each category.
Visit the Kin Film Fest page for more information.
So the advertisement for the telephone companies once said, and it is still true, but now with something perhaps Dick Tracy would appreciate. Today’s classrooms are reaching to the far corners of the globe taking advantage of the high tech and low cost of Skype. Grade 6 students of Greg Theriault and Joanne Robichaud at Eleanor W. Graham Middle School in Rexton recently had a “video conversation” with local residents Tom and Judy Snowdon who are presently in Egypt with fellow Menonites providing humanitarian aid. The students had many questions for Mr.
