Staff
The recent successes at both the district speech contest and regional science fair will be presented tonight during the Rainy River District School Board’s regular monthly meeting.
“It is the intention of the contest to promote oral and written communication,” the report to the board notes.
“Speeches not only become a large focus in classrooms leading up to the contest, but give purpose to the oral expression and written component of the Ontario Language Curriculum,” it adds.
“Students are given this opportunity to use their communication skills developed in the classroom which allow for clear, concise, and effective presentations.”
The winner of the annual speech contest was Maria Gilbert, a Grade 8 student from J.W. Walker School, whose speech was called “Defining Beauty.”
Julia McManaman (Robert Moore School) was awarded second place for her speech on “Teen Depression” while Mira Donaldson (Robert Moore) took third with her topic, “A Day in the Life of a Legislative Page.”
Meanwhile, the Sunset Country Regional Science Fair was held at J.W. Walker School in April, which saw Grade 4-8 students attend from J.W. Walker and Robert Moore, as well as Ear Falls and Red Lake.
The results were:
Grades 4-6
•1st—Kathryn Fischer and Zakary Kellar (Robert Moore) with “Handwashing 101”;
•2nd—Simone Payne and Cassidy Roach (J.W. Walker) with “Halt! No More Salt!”; and
•3rd—Hallee Nugent (Robert Moore) with “To Burn or Not To Burn”
Grades 7-8
•1st—Hanna LeDrew (J.W. Walker) with “Catch of the Day”;
•2nd—Byron Stewart and Graham Anderson (J.W. Walker) with “A Smarter Case”; and
•2nd—Maria Gilbert (Walker) with “Getting a ‘Grater’ Clean”
LeDrew also earned a gold medal for Best in Fair while Stewart and Anderson were awarded a silver.
All three earned a berth to attend the Canada-Wide Science Fair held in Windsor, Ont. last month.
LeDrew was one of 40 youths who earned a bronze medal—an “Excellence Award” in the junior division.
She also received $100 and a certificate.
Also at tonight’s meeting, the board will:
•present a Recognition of Excellence award to retirees and employees who provided 25 years of service, as well as a bus driver and volunteer award;
•hear a presentation from the Christian Parents’ Association of the Sturgeon Creek Alternative Program;
•hear an update a summer facility projects; and
•be presented with the director’s annual Operation Plan.
The meeting gets underway at the Education Centre (board office) at 7 p.m.
