PTBO Game Jam 02 At Fleming College Was Huge Success

UPDATED (February 23rd) with more pictures below....

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More than 150 participants took place in PTBO Game Jam 02, held February 17th to 19th at Fleming College’s state of the art Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre. More than half of those in attendance were game developers, resulting in an impressive 33 games being created.

Watching hockey while making games Saturday night

This semi-annual, not-for-profit showcase of all things game development saw programmers, designers, artists and others involved in game-development disciplines gather to plan, design and create games in a specified time frame.

PTBO Game Jam 02 also presented an event-opening Educational Block that featured Robert French, who led a seminar on the steps and processes involved in the creation of PAC-MAN.

“Watching the organic growth of this event has been astonishing,” says principal event organizer Matthew Davey of Peterborough game development studio dotBunny.

“Hearing the stories of individuals and their journeys to get here made all the work organizing it well worth it. I can't wait to see what we can do for PTBO Game Jam 03 as we are now starting to catch the eye of much larger markets.”

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UPDATE: Here are more pictures from PTBO Game Jam 02...

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St. Peter's Catholic Secondary School No. 1 Locally In Fraser Institute Report Card

In the Fraser Institute's Annual Report Card released on Ontario's secondary schools, St. Peter Catholic Secondary School is No. 1 locally in the academic rankings, with a rating of 7 out of 10, putting it 222 nationally out of 740 schools ranked.

Crestwood and Adam Scott each scored a 6.7 rating, followed by Thomas A. Stewart at 6.6, Holy Cross at 5.9, and Kenner at 4.8.

The rankings are decided by math and literacy testing among Grade 9 students.

View the detailed report here.

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The Vital Role Peterborough 9-1-1 Dispatchers Play (& What You Should Know)

This week (April 10th to 16th) marks National Communicators Week, a week dedicated to celebrating the work of 9-1-1 dispatchers and educating and reminding residents about the appropriate use of 9-1-1.

“There are no minor players on our team—every member of our Service makes a significant contribution,” says Peterborough Police Service Chief Murray Rodd. "Our 9-1-1 communicators and dispatchers play an essential role in serving as the community’s gateway to emergency response 24/7/365 and also serving as our officer’s lifeline when they are on the road.”

Below is an overview of the 9-1-1 team in Peterborough...

How It Works: The 9-1-1 Communications Team In Peterborough

The Peterborough Police Service’s 9-1-1 Communications Centre is comprised of a 9-1-1/Communications Manager, four Communications Shift Supervisors and 12 communicators aligned to coincide with the four platoon system. The Centre receives all 9-1-1 Emergency Calls for the City of Peterborough, the Ward of Lakefield and the Township of Cavan Monaghan. In 2015, the 9-1-1 Communications Centre received 47,706 9-1-1 calls, a 32 percent increase from the previous year.

9-1-1 Dispatchers Highly Trained

“9-1-1 dispatchers are highly trained to get people the help they need in the most effective way possible. They have mastered the art of listening and of asking the right questions. They must be both empathetic and efficient,” says Alison Kirkland, Communications Centre Manager. “Their job is one that can be extremely stressful during major incidents but it is also extremely rewarding knowing they were able to help dispatch assistance in an emergency.”

What You Need To Know When Making 9-1-1 Call

• If calling 9-1-1, it is important to stay as calm as possible, do not panic and talk in a clear manner. Understand there will be questions but answering them does not slow down the emergency services being dispatched. Emergency 9-1-1 Dispatchers are trained to get you the help you need in the most efficient and effective way possible.

• Listen to the Dispatchers. They need to get all the important information so that all Emergency Responders required are sent.

• Do not hang up the line until instructed to by the Dispatcher. Anything can happen and Emergency Services need to know your situation at all times until they arrive.

• Teach your children how to use 9-1-1. Practice with a pretend phone, and make sure they understand it’s important to call 9-1-1 only in an emergency.

• Be sure to dial 9-1-1 only when the situation you are reporting requires an immediate response by Police, EMS or the Fire Department. If you are in doubt that your situation is an emergency, always err on the side of safety.

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People Came From Far & Wide To Check Out Fleming's Open House

Fleming College held their Open House for prospective students on Saturday (November 21st) and people came from far and wide to check it out.

Heck, even R2-D2 showed up...

Watch the awesome video below with students who visited the Open House to talk about why they visited...

All prospective students and their guests are welcome at the Open House. One ticket per family is fine. We look forward to seeing you on campus!

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An End Of Year Love Note To Peterborough Teachers

Time and time again, we hear about awesome things local teachers do for their students. Teachers are unsung heroes.

Teachers have a profound influence on the lives of students. They are everything to students, and a great resource and sounding board for parents and administrators.

Teachers are the lifeblood of schools.

Great Idea: Peterborough teacher Wendy Thompson's wordie bookmark/freezie bundle year end gift to her students was a hit: Kind words that were written by classmates about each other (the more people to write the same word, the bigger the word is)

A great teacher can change a child's life—whether it's empowering them to make a choice in a career direction, be a nicer person, and inspire them to go out and change the world locally or globally.

Oftentimes, it's as simple as inspiring a child to have hope and stay positive, no matter what adversity that child is facing in their lives.

It's about saying, "Keep their chin up. I'm here for you."

Peterborough teacher Wendy Thompson's year end gift to students

Teachers are teachers but they are also caregivers, social workers, listeners, friends, confidants, motivators, mental health advocates.

Have a great summer teachers. You deserve it.

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