Big winners at BA awards Night: “Lemonade” delights Verdun Elementary audience

It was a night to celebrate the excellent work and efforts made by the students at Beurling Academy’s Annual Awards Evening as parents and students were invited to honor those who strived for academic excellence in this 2011-12 school year based on the first two terms.

Vice-Principals Alix Adrien and Natasha Mentore split the emceeing duties between the junior and senior grades calling out the various students’ names to receive their certificates from the teachers of the various subjects in question.

There were many students who picked up two or three recognitions, but as like in any school awards evening; there are those big winners who plainly excel at anything they do at whatever subject and, as they say, clean up big numbers.

It must be said, though, that throughout the year, the teaching staff and administration also congratulate the students through remarks in report cards, those popular honor roll breakfasts, and various other means throughout the year.

Awards are given for academic excellence in each subject, for honor roll and exceptional merit, community and recognition awards, and there are administration and citizenship awards.

This year, 4 students picked up 9 awards to lead their various grade levels. In Sec 2, Arianna Stephens got 9 awards, including academic excellence for highest overall average. Arianna repeated her sparkling performance of Sec 1, where she picked up 11 awards. In Sec 3, Emma Pressner and Amanda Ghandhi each got 9 awards and both picked up the academic excellence nod.

In Sec 4, Lorie Manea-Huaman was the big winner here with 9 awards, including 7 for academic excellence in most of the major subjects, and Lorie, not surprisingly, was noted for the academic excellence award, and in Sec 1, Rowan McDonald was tops with 6 awards, including the academic excellence award, which also included Deepk Singh Sahota in that category. A big congrats, though, goes out to all who were invited to this event as your contributions to your education were recognized for all to see.

A busy week at Verdun Elementary

Also, during the same week, Verdun Elementary held their annual junior musical, and this year, it was entitled “Lemonade”. This was a nice cool title just in time for the summer months. This exciting musical featured various nursery rhyme characters from Little Miss Muffet to Jack and the Beanstalk.

It was the story of Mother Goose as she listened in as they described their problems, and taught them the lesson that when life throws you lemons, you should make lemonade. Sound advice I say!

Students from kindergarten to grade 2 starred in this cute production which also featured happy music amidst some colorful costumes, which also had such characters like Humpty Dumpty to Sleeping Beauty to Chicken Little. Kudos to the junior musical committee and the direction of music teacher Miss Jennifer.

Earlier in the day, a very special guest dropped by to have a chat with the students in grades 1 to 4. The brother of bonafide Canadian hero Terry Fox, Fred Fox, was at the school to acknowledge the school’s contribution for having participated in 30 years of the Terry Fox Run. Fred talked about what growing up with Terry was like and what went on during those emotional days following the announcement to Terry that he had to get his leg amputated.

Fred Fox brought along an informative slide show showing some of the many moments of the younger days of Terry, and talked about his school life and that he was n excellent basketball player.

Afterwards, Mr. Fox presented 6 banners representing every 5 years that the school has participated, and as well, presented a book on Terry’s life to music teacher, Jennifer Hayden-Benn, who was instrumental in getting him to the school. It was a memorable visit, and who knows we just might see him in another 5 years to present another banner.