Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News May 2023

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Vol. 10

No. 5

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

MAY 2023

Learning fueled by good food at Duncan J. Schoular Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pd gmedia.ca Some kids trade up for fruit and veggies. They come to school with empty back packs and head straight for the fresh food stash. “Our kids are hungry,” says Nancy Holman, principal at Duncan J. Schoular on McGill St in Smiths Falls. Often the food bins are empty by early afternoon “and then we start to see fights and regulation challenges,” she adds. The school provides nutrition bins for more than 380 students every day, as well as running a full breakfast program. So the $1000 cheque from Smiths Falls Friends of the Library will help the school get through the food shortage until the end of the school year. Holman says there’s always a stash of food in her office — food the teachers have bought — and it’s

kept there…just in case. “On the weekend, we buy extra. We keep it here because the kids are hungry, and we want them to eat nutritious food. We want to make sure they’re content coming to school…and they want to come to school. “We love them, and do things to keep them engaged.” Because if they’re hungry, she adds, “they make poor choices, and it impacts their learning and their social skills connections.” Jenni-Lee Crogie says the school has gone through more food than anticipated this year. “There’s been a huge influx of students accessing our program.” Crogie, Breakfast Club co-ordinator, explains the process: “Funding originally started with Food for Thought, a government program. We were allotted so much money over the course of the school year; we order on Tuesday for the next week, but if

their supply runs down then so does ours, and all of a sudden we have 12 kids without any lunches” — so they head to the stash and toast up English muffins. “The price of food has gone up which also affects us. Running out to buy a few extra things blows the budget. It’s not expected or anticipated…” For more information about the breakfast program, or to support or donate, contact Holman at the school at 613-283-1367 or by email at djschoular@ucdsb.on.ca Holman thanked Christine Nayar, Chair, for the generous cheque. “It’s not generosity,” Nayar explains, because “Friends of the Library has a mandate of promoting literacy and it goes hand-in-hand. It might be pushing the envelope a little (literacy and food) but the trends we’re experiencing these days — it makes sense.”

Nancy Holman, (second from left), principal at Duncan J. Schoular Public School, accepts a $1000 cheque from Christine Nayar, chair of Smiths Falls Friends of the Library. The cheque will extend the food program until the end of the year. With Holman and Nayar are Sarah Rudge (far left) vice principal, Jenni-Lee Crogie, Breakfast Club co-ordinator, and Kathy Deutekom, book sale coordinator for Friends of the Library. Photo credit: Submitted.

CPR Training "a vital first step in survival" Dummies used in CPR/AED course. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Regional - Sally Smith editorial@pd gmedia.ca

Pierre Pierre Blais demonstrates CPR at a First Aid/CPR/AED Training program at the Marlborough Community Recreation Association April 22. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

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Pierre Blais captured more than a dozen participants’ focussed attention with his presentation of the Ottawa Paramedic Service’s CPR and AED course April 22. During the four hour course at the Marlborough Community Recreation Association Centre in North Gower, men and women took turns working on adult, children or baby dummies, and sometimes were the dummies themselves.

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Saving a life is a sobering act. Blais’ practical and matter-offact attitude made the course interesting and do-able; there was no hesitation on his part about going over life-saving steps more than once. He hammered the points home…even while admitting CPR only works 75 percent of the time. Tina Rudkoski, one of the participants, said “the course was well paced, delivered by an excellent, experienced trainer.” She added that it gave her confidence knowing if ever in an emergency situation that what she learned could be “a vital first step in someone’s survival.” Sarah Thorenton, another participant, agreed, saying the course was “both practical and informative” with a “dynamic” teacher. A few things to think about: Look around and make sure you’re safe when confronted with a situation. For example, when entering a room, if people are lying on the floor, don’t go in — possible gas exposure. Or, if someone is swinging a baseball bat, back away. Get consent from the person (if

possible). If the person is a baby or child, ask for consent from a parent. When doing CPR, push 30 times, take two breaths; do this five times (two minutes). Make sure someone has called 911. There are three priorities, Blais says: assess the level of consciousness (ask questions: who are you, what time is it, where are you…), is there bleeding, is the person breathing. If the person is not breathing, start CPR. Near the end of the course, Blais opened a small compact defibrillator and explained how to attach it; however it’s done — back and front (child), top left and bottom right, or top right and bottom left, make sure the heart is in between. The defibrillator will tell you how to do the rest. Each participant came away with a card stating they were certified in CPR and AED; the card is good for a year. Each also received a CPR/AED Manual. For information about First Aid/ CPR/AED training or the Public Access Defibrillator Program, call 613-580-2424, ext. 32434. The website is www.ottawa.ca/cpr.

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