It was a busy season at Lady Evelyn as students and staff shook off the winter and looked ahead to the end of the school year.
Lady Evelyn Alternative School Council hosted a used book and vinyl sale at the school in early April–our third in the past two years. Drawing a steady stream of book-lovers, bargain-hunters and music buffs over three days, the sale was a success.
The money collected will be used to buy new books for the school library and fund other programs sponsored by the council.
Lady Evelyn teachers put an active spin on art appreciation this year by having students study a renowned artist, then create their own works of art in his or her style. The results were to be presented at a school-wide art show on May 9.
In keeping with the tenets of alternative education, Lady Evelyn emphasizes cooperation and teamwork instead of competition in the classroom, so children develop their internal motivation to learn rather than relying on external prompts and rewards. Interested students are also given opportunities to participate in traditional sports and other competitive activities on an extracurricular basis.
This spring, Lady Evelyn students represented the school at several district-wide competitions.
The Grade 5-6 girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams participated in the Junior Region Tier 3 Volleyball Tournament at Rideau High School on Feb 19-20. Coached by Nora Ballantyne and Chris Savage, the girls enjoyed tremendous success, winning the gold medal after a great run through the event. The boys also made a strong showing and qualified for the playoff round. In April, the junior athletes turned their focus to basketball, and began practicing twice a week with coach Leanne Doyle to prepare for the Tier 3 tournament.
The Lady Evelyn Chess Club sent teams to compete in both the primary and junior divisions of the annual OCDSB Chess Tournament in Kanata on March 27. Facing strong competition from the city’s powerhouse programs, Lady Evelyn’s young chess masters held their own and demonstrated terrific focus, skill and camaraderie during the six-round tournament. The players enjoyed the event and looked forward to returning next year.
