VERDUN SCHOOL NEWS

Well, it’s the week to the Christmas break and our local schools were busy this month with Christmas events and community activities, and this week saw a musical from Verdun Elementary at the BA auditorium and the Annual BA Christmas concert, which we will have info on in January.

We also had lots of winners for our December movie blowout last week. Going to the movies last week were: for “The Day the Earth Stood still”; Lori King, Jim Bytheway, Jackie Massicotte, and Joyce Gauthier, for “The Tale of Despereaux”; Rita Warren and Carol-Ann Sheppard, and this week for “Bedtime Stories”; Johanne Lamoureux. For these winners, it pays to read the Messenger. Thanks to all who called in, and stay tuned, you never know what flick we’ll have next!

It’s been a banner year so far for Community projects at the school, and we hear of good news from teacher Amanda Liste about Operation Christmas Child. The past several years has seen students fill up shoe boxes with toys, school supplies and other little knick knacks which are then sent to kids in other parts of the world who would otherwise not get a present-filled Xmas. So this year, up from 34 last year, 50 shoe boxes were filled and are currently being sent to Haiti and Senegal. Way to go everybody!

Also from Miss Liste, she informs us that the Christmas card campaign also went well as about $3000 worth of cards was sold, which is about 250 boxes, which is up from about $2200 last year and a little less than 200 boxes sold. After production costs, monies will go to Beurling’s school in Burundi, which will be brought there by Mr. Manikariza, who is native to that country. So a big thanks goes out to all those who bought cards.

We would like to send belated kudos to BA 2008 grad Nicholas Nadeau , for his personal project, “Eco-Home”, which has been selected to be part of the 2009 International Baccalaureate publication entitled, 50 Excellent Personal Projects. The project was sent to Cardiff, Wales in March 2007 as a sample for a process that BA goes thru every year with the IBO people. Nicholas received a perfect score, a 1st not only for Beurling Academy, but for the Lester B. Pearson School Board as well. Once again, the public education system at work!

In Sports, the basketball teams, for the most part are halfway thru the season. The midget girls and boys bantam teams are so far winless, but not without effort. After 2 straight wins, the midget boys are at 2 and 4, and the juvenile girls have fallen below 500 and are now at 2 and 3. The girls bantam team are in second place in their section with a 4 and 2 record after edging out Villa Maria last week 28-27, and most teams were or are in action this week.

At this time, I would like to send out best wishes to all our dear readers, to all the students and their parents, to the teachers and staff to the administrators. We hope most of your dreams come through and may the wisdom of our politicians bring home the troops sooner rather than later, as we think of their loved ones who will be without their fathers, sons or husbands during this special time of the year. Our thoughts are with you as you wish Peace and Good Will to all Men. May the Community have the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years! See you in January.