The NOW COQUITLAM, PORT COQUITLAM, PORT MOODY, ANMORE AND BELCARRA
Friday, December 3, 2010
Community
A11
editorial@thenownews.com
Students raise funds for school in Uganda
C
harles Best Secondary students are raising money to rebuild a school impacted by war in Uganda. The Coquitlam high school partnered with Keyo Secondary School in the Amuru district of northern Uganda. The initiative began after a school presentation from Invisible Children Inc., a non-profit organization that aims to stop the exploitation of child soldiers in northern Uganda. Charles Best students were interested in helping with the cause, so they launched a Schools for Schools club to fundraise for the program. In their first week, they raised more than $500 and they plan to keep going with a goal of $5,000. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://s4s.invisiblechildren.com/ school/0/0017000000bDWSLAA4.
out about the one-day appointment at a school event that included three firefighters and Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart. The firefighters presented a demonstration about fire gear and a talk about fire prevention. After the presentation, Lucia was whisked away in the fire truck to Coquitlam City Hall, where Stewart presented her with a plaque. From there, she headed to the fire hall for lunch with the mayor and firefighters.
Locals earn national awards
Gaby Davis Foundation gains support
The Out-of-School Care Kids at Junior Citizens Care Centre recently raised nearly $170 for the Gaby Davis Foundation by selling cookies and selling tickets to a family movie night fundraiser. The Gaby Davis Foundation is hosting a Christmas Market on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. at River Springs Recreation Centre, located at 1950 Lodge Dr. in Coquitlam. For more information on the Christmas event, call 604-464-4229.
Author visits Scott Creek
Scott Creek Middle School recently enjoyed an author’s visit for winning a TD Kids Book Club contest. Each year, CBC runs the contest for elementary schools in seven locations across Canada. Winning schools receive a visit from an author for a book club discussion, which CBC Radio records for broadcast. This year, classes wrote stories or poems about why the book club should come to their school. Scott Creek students blanketed the contest with nearly 30 entries and won the visit for the Greater Vancouver region. Arthur Slade, author of The Hunchback Assignments, was onsite at Scott Creek for a taping of CBC’s North by Northwest, along with program moderator Cheryl McKay. To listen to Scott Creek’s entries, visit www. cbc.ca/books/bookclub/tdbooks/watchlisten. html.
Douglas wins program award
Douglas College is the first post-secondary school in Canada to win a North America-wide sign language interpreter program award. The Douglas program won the 2010 Video Relay Service Interpreter Education Program Award of Excellence from Sorenson Communications. The award includes $10,000 cash plus $5,500 in credits to buy resource
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Lydia Gibson of the Vancouver Aquarium shows a sea star to kindergarten students at Mountain View Elementary. To see a photo gallery of the visit — and the kids’ reactions to various creatures — visit www.thenownews.com and scroll down the home page to “THE NOW EXTRAS.”
each student is unique, and to never put a cap materials for the program. on their potential.” The annual award recognizes an interpreter education program that is making a meaningful contribution by expanding curriculum to Gleneagle scribes win first prize meet the increased demand for interpreters. Journalism students at Gleneagle Secondary “Our program has been fortunate over the have earned international attention for their last 20 years because we have been the beneschool newspaper. ficiary of extensive support and Led by journalism teacher Lois encouragement from the local deaf Axford, last year’s young writand interpreting communities,” ers won international first prize program co-ordinator Cheryl from the Quill and Scroll society Palmer said in a press release. “As for their publication. The judging well, our curriculum is widelywas based on writing and editing, acknowledged as state-of-the-art display and design, coverage and in our field and our faculty takes policy guidelines. pride in their ability to work Class Act together to focus on the progress Japanese students visit of each student individually as they Jennifer McFee develop their skills.” Riverside Secondary welcomed 90 Japanese students from Chikushidai High School in Kyushu for a dayKumon students honoured long visit recently. The multicultural leaderThe Kumon Math and Reading Centre of ship class organized the event, which allowed Coquitlam-Como Lake recently honoured more the international guests a chance to observe a than 100 students for academic excellence, dilitypical day at Riverside. gence and commitment over the past year. The Japanese students visited classrooms At an annual celebration, special awards and were involved in Japanese language classwere given to students who reached the es. The annual event promotes cultural learnadvanced student honour roll by working at ing and appreciation. challenges at least six months ahead of their grade level. Other milestones and improveStudent takes over role of chief ments were also recognized. “We’re all learning from each other,” said Lucia Chan, a Grade 3 student at Our Lady chief instructor Alice Yuan in a press release. of Fatima School, was recently chosen to be “They’re learning the importance of perseverfire chief for a day. ance and dedication. I continue to learn that Chan was taken by surprise when she found
Two local students earned national recognition for their knowledge of Canadian history. Grade 11 Riverside Secondary student Eden Nzeyimana was named winner of the Begbie Society’s Canadian History Contest, along with Gregory Bailey of Gander, Nfld. The Canada-wide contest for high school students tests history skills through multiple choice questions, paragraph response questions and one essay question on an issue in Canadian history. They both received awards from Gov. Gen. David Johnston in Ottawa at Rideau Hall. The presentation was part of the Governor General’s awards for excellence in teaching Canadian history. At the same awards ceremony, Coquitlam student Carolyn Nakagawa was named winner of the Historica-Dominion Institute’s Great Canadian Questions Essay Contest, along with Jesse Shulman of Toronto. This contest was open to high school and undergraduate university students to write a 1,500-word essay on one of six key debates about Canadian history and culture.
Youth leaders recognized
Charles Best Secondary students David Jennings and Armin Rezaeian-Asel recently represented their school at the solicitor general’s safety conference for their work on the Downtown Eastside and with the local cold wet weather mat program. Project Health and Project Hello, overseen by Best staffer Kristi Blakeway, both won recognition in the youth leadership category.
Hog Wild raises $17,800
This year’s Hog Wild About Reading ride for literacy raised $17,800 in cash and books for school libraries. Administrators, teachers and retired District 43 staff participated in the ride, which is now co-sponsored by Barnes Harley Davidson and the Port Coquitlam HOG (Harley Owners Group) chapter. • Do you have a school event or accomplishment you’d like people to know about? Send submissions to jmcfee@thenownews. com with “Class Act” in the subject line. Information can also be sent by fax to 604444-3460 or dropped off at our office at 201A-3430 Brighton Ave., Burnaby.
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