INSPIRE

Scotties Sign Club

In February, Thunder Bay was luck to host the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, welcoming curlers from across Canada. Curlers visited Lakehead Public Schools across the city and hundreds of students attended draws at the Fort William Gardens. One incredibly special moment took place when the students of the Ecole Claude E. Garton Public School Sign Club signed O Canada to kick off the day’s draws and even got a shoutout from the commentators on TSN’s national broadcast of the event. We are so proud of all of the students who participated in this special moment.

Historic Win

Whether it was injury, on and off court adversity, or even flight delays, nothing could stop the Hammarskjold Vikings Senior Girls Basketball team this past season.

An undefeated season, they went 21-0, that turned out to be historic not just for the team or their school, but our entire city as they became the first team in any sport from Thunder Bay, boys or girls, to win gold at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association’s AA championship in November.

While they should be incredibly proud of their on the court dominance, which was on display at the OFSSA tournament in North Bay where they beat their opponents by an average of 36.5 points, we hope that they’re even more proud of the values they highlighted in speaking to media at their celebration when they arrived back in Thunder Bay: of teamwork, of staying strong in challenging times and working together.

Thank you to coaches John Clouthier and Sydney Charles for their remarkable guidance and leadership. And, thank you girls for making Hammarskjold High School, Lakehead Public Schools and all of Thunder Bay proud.

Random and Rockin’ Act of Kindness

At our Board Advisory Committee in June, Trustee LeBlanc gave Trustee Character Awards to the entire cast of Nor’wester View Public School ‘s We Will Rock You for this spontaneous act of generosity. When this Queen superfan appeared on stage during their performance, they welcomed him with open arms, shared the microphone and kept on rocking. Thank you to the entire cast for your inclusivity, empathy and spirit of unity!

Provincial Award Winner

Congratulations to Hammarskjold High School’s Amelia Jardine, provincial winner of the Judge’s Choice Award in the OSSTF/FEESO Student Achievement Awards!

Her powerful pencil drawing, Duet, captures the haunting final song of the Kaua’i ʻōʻō, an extinct bird calling out for a mate that will never come. Inspired by the last recorded encounter of this species, Amelia’s artwork beautifully reflects this year’s theme, Is Anyone Out There? Student work is judged at the school, district, regional, and provincial levels. Amelia is one of eight provincial winners each receiving a $1,000 award and is invited to the OSSTF/FEESO Annual General Meeting in Toronto in March, where a video showcasing her work will be screened. Amelia’s supporting teacher, Ms. Sarah Johnston, joined her in Toronto in March for the awards ceremony!

Spring Cleaning

Students at Whitefish Valley School participated in a spring clean-up in May. Primary classes donned gloves and picked up litter in the schoolyard, while intermediate grades wore gloves and high-vis vests to pick up litter along the road. Way to go, Eagles! Thank you for looking after your school and neighbourhood.

Award Winner

In June, at the Ontario Association for Counselling and Attendance Services conference in Ottawa, our secondary attendance counsellor Jennifer Johnston was the recipient of the Orville Watson Award.

The Orville Watson Award is given annually in recognition of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession (Counselling and Attendance Services), to the Association, and to the community. Jen has been outstanding and unwavering in her dedication to students and the work in her field.

Jen is on the OACAS executive committee and spends countless hours working to develop resources for her fellow attendance counsellors. Jen has spent the last year working meticulously on developing the new province-wide attendance toolkit and with support from Lakehead Public Schools, this was released to all schools at the beginning of the new year. We all appreciate Jen’s dedication, enthusiasm and positivity in everything that she does. We are incredibly proud and grateful to have her supporting students in our schools.

Jen’s family was able to travel down to surprise her when she received the award, celebrating this special moment and her outstanding achievement.

Congratulations and thank you for all that you do Jen!!!

Game On

In March, Grade 7 and 8 students from across Lakehead Public Schools hit the ice to faceoff in the annual Intermediate Hockey Tournament. It was a fantastic day of skill, friendship and sportsmanship. CBC Thunder Bay was there to catch all the action. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6672991

Hitting the Mats

In April, elementary students from across Lakehead Public Schools headed to the Fort William Gardens for the annual Wrestling Tournament. It was a great day of competition plus, students taught CBC Thunder Bay a few lessons in between matches.

Home Run Lessons

In May, the Thunder Bay Border Cats headed to Ecole Gron Morgan Public School to teach kindergartners all about the importance of physical activity and healthy living. The team also taught the students the basics of baseball from hitting to throwing and base running!

All-star Concert

Intermediate students from nearly a dozen Lakehead Public Schools headed to Ecole Elsie MacGill Public School in May to share their love of music with friends, family and fellow students. Playing famous soundtracks from across the decades, the concert was a talent-filled waltz down memory lane.