North Queens Community School in Caledonia is one of the recipients of the new School Advisory Council Innovation Fund. (NQCS Facebook page)

North Queens Community School in Caledonia is one of 26 schools across Nova Scotia awarded funding through the new School Advisory Council Innovation Fund.

The fund is sponsored by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. It provides grants of up to $10,000 to test an idea that could be expanded to other schools. The province announced the program in December to encourage new and innovative projects to support student achievement and well-being.

“I am so impressed with the creativity and commitment to bettering schools that SACs showed in their applications to the innovation fund,” said Becky Druhan, minister of education and early childhood development.

“The councils really demonstrated their deep understanding of their school communities and the things that get students engaged in their learning experience.”

The North Queens Community School’s project is a W’koum (wigwam). Led by a community elder, students will sustainably collect materials to build the structure. 

The Primary to Grade 12 school plans a community celebration when the W’koum is finished and it will be incorporated into the school’s outdoor learning environment.

School advisory councils are volunteer-driven and usually include parents and guardians, school staff, students and other community members.

The province received 128 applications for funding. More than $250,000 was awarded to recipients.

Projects will be featured at the first provincewide SAC conference in September.

Some of the other successful projects include: hydroponics to expand school gardens; a model apartment for students with special needs; and a “right to bike” program, which supplies students in grades 3, 4 and 5 with larger bicycles and safety equipment.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Rick and Liz Carten. Contributed by Rick Carten

Beginning this June, graduates living in the North Queens Community School District can get help paying for their post-secondary education.

A new trust has been established by the John Cormac Carten Foundation which will award up to $1,000 USD to any student who meets the eligibility criteria.

Foundation trustees Rick and Liz Carten named the fund in honour of Rick’s great-great-grandfather John Cormac Carten who emigrated from Ireland to Liverpool in the 1830s.

Rick Carten, who lives in Virginia, says he feels a connection to North Queens and wanted to do something for the people living there.

“My wife and I do not have any children,” said Carten, “so this was my way of passing on some of my good fortune to my ancestral homeland.”

Carten has been looking into his roots and learned his grandfather prospered in the shipping trade before moving to Halifax in the 1850s.

The elder Cormac had a dozen children and many of his eight daughters married local men with family names that are familiar in North Queens such as Baxter, Devenney, Ennis, McBride, and Nixon.

The last Carten descendent, Thomas Carten ran a general store in South Brookfield from around 1933 until his death in 1960.

Rick Carten says the John Cormac Carten Foundation is modelled after the highly successful J.D. Shatford Memorial Trust which has benefitted over 1,000 students around Hubbards for the past 60 years.

The scholarships are open to any students living in the North Queens Community School catchment area, regardless of if they attend that school so long as they graduate and can show they’ve been accepted at a university or college.

The same student can receive an award from the foundation up to four times during their post-secondary studies.

Students can apply through their guidance councillors and through the John Cormac Carten Foundation website.

Rick Carten is hopeful he will have the opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony at NQCS this June to meet some of the prospective recipients.

“I want to make sure that no one gets left behind who really deserves and qualifies for a scholarship,” said Carten. “I think it’s really important for them to at least have that opportunity to follow their dreams and their passions.”

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
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Photo contributed Emma Goulden

Students at North Queens Community School will enjoy a safe grad adventure after fundraising efforts exceeded expectations.

Parents of North Queens grads have been working for two months to raise $9,000. A recent online auction raised close to $4,300 pushing them past their goal for a total just shy of $11,000.

One of the parent organizers Marie Gernon says it was a lot of work but worth it to give students a memorable final night together.

“It’s important that they go have fun and then they just [can say] I graduated, I’m done, you know?” said Gernon.

After COVID restrictions were lifted, the South Shore Regional Centre for Education informed schools they could make their own determination around what graduation celebrations to hold.

North Queens is moving forward with a pre-pandemic schedule of events including prom for grades 7-12 on June 27 and a full, in-person graduation ceremony in the gym on June 29.

Gernon is pleased the students will be ending their time together as a group.

“A lot of the kids have grown up together so it’s nice for them all to have that camaraderie and just see it through and support each other,” said Gernon.

Following the graduation ceremony, the students will board a bus to Halifax to start their safe grad night at Putting Edge and Get Air. Then it’s off to Bridgewater to spend time at HB Studios sports centre before swimming at the Best Western Pool. Once back in Caledonia, they will sit down for breakfast together at the Hollow Log restaurant before heading home.

Gernon calls the way the community rallied to support the graduates a blessing.

Going forward, she hopes parents continue to take an active role in planning graduation activities, not only to take the burden off teachers but to also be part of the celebration.

“You’ve raised them up to this point,” said Gernon. “It’s the parent’s celebration as well. So, it would be nice to see the parents get involved in it again.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

North Queens Community School graduating class of 2022. Photo South Shore Regional Centre for Education

Communities across Queens and Lunenburg counties are working to give the 2022 North Queens Community School grads a safe send off.

A group of parent volunteers has been hosting several fundraisers over the past weeks to provide students with a safe grad.

They launched an online auction at the beginning of the month posting items donated by businesses and residents alike.

Over 60 parcels are up for grabs, ranging from collectables and clothing to gift certificates for services.

Marie Gernon, the parent spearheading the latest effort, is confident given the support so far, the group will reach their $9,000 goal.

“For me, that’s one of the highlights is just seeing the community come together and supporting,” said Gernon. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my community or Bridgewater or Liverpool, everybody’s coming together.”

The money is being used to support safe-grad, a drug and alcohol free, all-night outing for the graduates.

The students decided after receiving their diplomas they wanted to head into Halifax and spend the night at the Putting Edge, Playdome and Get Air.

Money raised will cover those fees plus the cost of a bus and driver to bring the grads back and forth to the city before they return to the school for an early morning breakfast together.

Gernon says because of COVID it’s been two years since there’s been a safe grad and it’s important to acknowledge the difficult situation the students have come through.

“Let the kids know that hey, you guys have done an amazing job and this is, as parents and community, this is our way of saying good job, here’s something that you guys want to do,” said Gernon.

Auction items can be viewed by joining the Grad 2022 Online Auction Facebook page.

Bids can be placed in the comments below the item and bidding closes June 12 at 3:00pm.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.