St. John Paul Elementary II School Reopened After Suspicious Object Discovered; No Threat to Public, Kawartha Lakes Police Say

Students and staff of St. John Paul II Elementary School can breathe a sigh of relief as their school reopened after a faculty member discovered a report of a suspicious object on Monday morning.

Photo courtesy of St. John Paul’s Catholic Elementary SChool.

The object was discovered at roughly 8:30 a.m. at the Lindsay school.

Kawartha Lakes Police were contacted and had the school evacuated for safety precautions.

After a thorough search of the school and grounds, the police concluded that the object did not threaten the public.

Police say there is absolutely no threat to public safety. Therefore, the scene has been released and the school has been re-opened.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Renowned Professional Wrestler Cody Deaner To Guest Speak At Local Elementary Schools Through Sponsorship Tour

Through a sponsorship by Kiwanis Club of Peterborough, Chris Gray better known as professional wrestling/speaker Cody Deaner is doing a fourth tour of several Peterborough schools announced on Tuesday.

The Kiwanis Club of Peterborough is celebrating 103 years of service to the Peterborough community. It is part of a global membership of over 550,000 in 80 countries. Photo courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Peterborough.

The Total Nonstop Wrestling star will speak at Edmison Heights Public School on Feb. 12 and St. John’s Catholic Elementary School and Adam Scott Intermediate School on Feb. 13.

Gray also launched a top rated podcast in 2023: Wrestling is Life is Wrestling.

“We’re very excited to bring Chris back to Peterborough for another tour”, said Jeff Westlake, Kiwanis past-president. “His previous tours in 2019, 2020 and 2023 were tremendously popular with both students and staff.”

“I’m delighted to be returning to Peterborough next month,” said Gray. “The partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Peterborough has been outstanding these last few years and I’m eager to inspire area kids with my stories and message of ‘Dare to Dream Big’”.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Future Political Leaders at Trent University Gain More Hands-On Opportunities Thanks to $500K Donation from RBC

Trent University students looking to become the leaders of tomorrow in government, politics and public service will now get more experiential learning opportunities and greater support thanks to a $500,000 gift from RBC Royal Bank.

file photo.

The new funding will support the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership program at Trent University.

The gift, over five years, will further engage marginalized and equity-seeking students, prepare professional certificate programs, and support seminars, conferences, national networking opportunities, co-op education and work placements through the program that aims to build greater trust in public institutions.

“Experiential elements are integral to the success of the groundbreaking Jarislowsky program, and this funding will provide Trent students with an even richer experience when studying politics, fiduciary policy and responsible governance,” says Kevin Whitmore, director, Co-op, Careers, & Experiential Learning at Trent University.

The program is supported by a $2 million investment from the Jarislowsky Foundation, which was founded in 1993 by prominent Canadian philanthropist and business leader Stephen Jarislowsky.

“RBC is proud to support Trent’s Jarislowky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership program – to help young people develop the skills they will need for a career dedicated to public service,” says Marjolaine Hudon, RBC Regional President.

Dr. Cristine de Clercy, Trent's inaugural Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership, is at the forefront of this first-of-its-kind network of endowed chairs. De Clercy has joined the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences to lead the development of the innovative program of scholarship (teaching, research, and experiential learning) that will expand knowledge and training in the ethical politics, fiduciary responsibility, and democratic governance. Through the Jarislowsky chair position, she is enriching Trent's strengths in student-centered, research-informed, and interdisciplinary approaches.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Sisters-In-Law Found New Private School Evergreen Education Beginning this September

Teachers and sister-in-laws Kayley Dunn and Sarah Dunn are opening a new private school Evergreen Education located at the Edmison Heights Baptist Church basement and are accepting enrollments for September.

Teachers Kayley Dunn (left) and Sarah Dunn (right) prepping for the next school year as they will open their private school Evergreen Education this September. Both of their husbands are brothers. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The school is accepting children from kindergarten to grade three and looking to get around 22 students total with classes of no more than 15 students, enrolled for the upcoming school year.

Kayley and Sarah focus on self-paced and ‘mastery-based’ learning rather than every child learning at the same rate.

“Teachers are teaching students at their level and so if you have a big class of 26, the idea is that that teacher is meeting all those 26 students' needs because they're not all necessarily at the same academic level,” explained Sarah. “That's really hard to do and it's not the teacher's fault, there's so many things at play. Each student in our class will have their own tracking system, their own goals each day and so they know where they are in their learning.”

Both teachers want to teach self-awareness, others-awareness, social skills and empathy to the children in ‘emotional intelligence.’

“We have a whole curriculum we're following, exercises and a chunk of time every morning designated for emotional learning for students,” said Sarah. That's also unique to our school and our program and outdoor education.”

"It won't just be outdoor play, we will be teaching our subjects outside and integrating outdoors throughout,” said Kayley.

The idea of the school stemmed from both women spending time together since both their husbands are brothers. Two duo had their children and maternity leave around the same time and collaborated on the idea. It was inspired from the COVID-19 pandemic as several children had alternate learning conditions and restrictions placed for a few years that could not give students the full school experience.

“We also saw a lot of gaps in the learning as we went back from the pandemic, seeing so many kids grade levels behind or above because home life was different for everyone,” explained Kayley. “We looked at the system right now and how everything's being taught and were, 'we could close those gaps so easily with a different model of teaching.’”

Sarah and Kayley wanted to deliver quality education at Evergreen to Peterborough in the same respect as they would want their own children to receive.

“I wanted to give my kids a quality education and felt like Sarah and I could give them that,” explained Kayley. “We felt like we could actually do a wonderful job at providing a quality education to everyone.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

PVNC Catholic School Board Celebrates 2023 Catholic Student Leadership Awards

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNC) honoured 38 students with a Catholic Student Leadership Award during a ceremony at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School May 3.

photo courtesy of pvnc.

One student has been selected from each elementary and secondary school and winners were presented with a special medallion. Award recipients were nominated by principals, teachers and in some cases, fellow students. Each demonstrated outstanding qualities in Catholic leadership, family commitment, involvement in school affairs, involvement in community activities and dedication to a difficult situation or task.

“These award winners are true role models who embody the goals of our Catholic Graduate Expectations,” said Kevin MacKenzie, Chairperson of the Board. “Catholic Education Week affords us a perfect time to pay tribute to the student leaders in our schools and reflect on the importance of faith in our lives, and the role it plays in Catholic education.”

Click here for full release, including hi-res photos and full list of winners in Peterborough, Peterborough County, Clarington, Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

School Board Chairperson Braden Leal Not Seeking Re-Election

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board Chairperson Braden Leal has announced he will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming municipal election.

Photo courtesy of PVNC.

“With the municipal election fast approaching, I have been reflecting upon the next phase of my journey. I have decided that I will not be running for a trustee position in October. Instead, I will be looking at new opportunities,” said Leal.

Leal has served as PVNC chairperson since Dec. 1 last year. He was elected as a first-time trustee for the City of Peterborough in the 2018 municipal election. He served as vice-chairperson from October to December 2021 before being elected as chairperson.

“It has been an honour to serve in this leadership role, to have the opportunity to represent the school board in which I was educated,” Leal said. “I am grateful for the learning, the leadership experiences, and the relationships that we have built over my tenure.”

“Braden took on the top leadership position in the most challenging of times,” Joan Carragher, PVNC director of education. “As a proud PVNC graduate, he has been a steadfast champion for our schools and Catholic Education in our region.”

Election Day in Ontario municipalities is Oct. 24 The deadline to file a nomination to be a school trustee candidate is Aug. 19 at 2 p.m.

Braden is the son of former MPP and mayoral candidate Jeff Leal.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Province Extends Tuition Freeze College and University Students

Ontario students and families can breathe as the provincial government has extended the tuition freeze through 2023 announced on Wednesday.

Students enrolled in a university undergraduate arts and science degree would pay an average of $660 less in tuition with the freeze according to the Ontario Government. Photo by Angela O’Grady.

The freeze will provide financial relief and predictability for students and families seeking access to affordable post-secondary education according to the Ontario Government.

“Our government recognizes that students and their families make huge sacrifices to attend college and university, so our government will continue to look for ways to reduce financial barriers for learners,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of colleges and universities. “By freezing tuition for another year, we are saying yes to ensuring that students have access to affordable, high-quality postsecondary education and reducing the financial strain on families who have already faced so many challenges throughout the pandemic.”

The one-year extended tuition freeze for Ontario residents builds on Ontario’s 10 per cent reduction in tuition for the 2019-20 academic year, and the subsequent two-year freeze from 2020-22.

The freeze has provided students with tuition relief of about $450 million annually when compared to tuition costs in 2018-19 according to a press release.

“Increasing the affordability of college and university is part of Ontario’s plan to help people get the training they need to get good-paying jobs,” said Minister Dunlop. “By extending the tuition freeze, we will ensure that students can get the skills they need to succeed in a highly-competitive global economy.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Petes Launch Virtual School Visits

The Peterborough Petes have launched their Virtual School Visit program where educators can host Petes players to their class announced Monday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The sessions contain 45-minute visits that include a question and answer period with players addressing topics like the importance of mental and physical health and a physical activity.

With the challenging year for the education system, the Petes want to continue to connect with students who have demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and educators who have gone over and above for their community according to the release.

“School visits were a marquee part of the Petes community outreach programming and we want to continue to host them,” said Morgan Blaind, Petes coordinator, administration and community engagement. “Our players look forward to connecting with students and educators.”

School visits will be hosted entirely online and educators will need to have access to video conferencing technology such as: Zoom, Google Meets or Microsoft Teams.

Petes players can either join an in-person class using SMART Board or other conferencing technology or can join a fully virtual class using the video call platform already in place. You can register by clicking here.

Educators and schools should contact Morgan Blaind at (705) 743-3681 ext. 221 or mblaind@gopetesgo.com with any questions regarding the virtual school visits. Due to high demand, a visit cannot be guaranteed for every class.

The Petes are asking fans to submit photos and videos cheering on our players following the latest restrictions that prevent fans from attending home games. To learn how to cheer them on, click here.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Schools Move to Virtual Learning After Record-Breaking COVID-19 Numbers

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared that all elementary and secondary schools will move to an online format after the April break indefinitely after record-breaking COVID-19 cases and ICU numbers on Monday.

The announcement was made as a preventative measure according to Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.

“Today’s announcement is about prevention and sadly necessary precaution as we tackle the third wave of COVID-19,” he said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford received his COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. Screenshot.

Students with special education needs who are unable to learn virtually will have continued in-person learning.

Child care services for non-school-aged children will remain open and all school activities and activities will be closed accord to Ford.

Free emergency child care will be provided for school-aged children of healthcare and frontline workers. The Government of Ontario is working on a child care plan for parents who cannot work remotely.

Ford encourages that anyone who is eligible to get the vaccine to book an appointment as soon as possible.

Any eligible person who wants to book a vaccine appointment can visit the Government of Ontario website or call 1-888-999-6488.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Local Teacher Introduces Indigenous Issues High School Course

Kevin Robinson, Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute teacher, introduces a course called "Indigenous Issues in Film”.

Find out more about Robinson’s experience with the class and its impact it has had on the school. David Tuan Bui has the story in the video above.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.