A night for rebuilding Haiti, one year after the earthquake

Christian Napper plays guitar at Waterloo-Oxford's Haiti Benefit Night Jan. 20. The event raised over $600 for Free the Children to build schools in the devastated nation.

Waterloo-Oxford DSS is keeping the people of Haiti in mind.

The school organized a benefit night on Jan. 20 to support rebuilding efforts in the shattered country. The night raised over $600 to help Free the Children build schools in the nation devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

The W-O library came alive Thursday night with music, drama, and food. The event mirrored another from one year ago, when students and staff organized a Haiti Benefit Night which raised over $3000 raised for relief shortly after the earthquake hit.

A year later, Waterloo-Oxford students are revisiting their commitment to Haiti. The event was organized by W-O’s Charities Committee and Students Without Borders.

Attendees had a chance to learn about how rebuilding efforts are proceeding. Parts of a documentary were shown that help to explain why, a year later, Haiti is still far from rebuilt.

“This year, we’re less about the money than trying to understand what is going on there,” says Ash Baer, student organizer.

Elaina Bentz, Laura Snyder and Natasha Salonen sell baked goods at Waterloo-Oxford's Haiti Benefit Night.

Easton Page plays the drums during the fund-raising show in W-O's library.

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Waterloo-Oxford beats the winter blues

Nathaniel Barker, grade 9 student, stretches for a dunk while a bungee cord pulls him back at W-O's Winter Carnival Jan. 21.

W-O students had an extra-long lunch to blow off steam at the school’s annual winter carnival Jan. 21.

The festivities ran Thursday and Friday, with outdoor hockey games and indoor obstacle courses, bungee-cord races, and movies. Friday night is also a an appreciation event for staff and their families.

This carnival was planned to mark the middle of winter, but the weather nearly had other ideas. Overnight snow blanketed the region but local schools remained open.

Dustin Fisher rushes the basket during games in W-O’s gym.

Waterloo-Oxford held its Winter Carnival Jan. 20 and 21.

Students lined up to rush through an inflated obstacle course in the gymnasium.

Nathaniel Barker, grade 9 student, stretches for a dunk while a bungee cord pulls him back at W-O’s Winter Carnival Jan. 21.

Crusaders fall to KCI in Junior Boys Basketball

Waterloo-Oxford were outshot by their KCI opponents and couldn’t climb back into the game on Jan. 11, losing 61-43 at home.

Top Crusader scorers were Garner Matthews with 14 and Alex Trotter with 8. The junior team plays at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School on Jan. 13 and at Eastwood Collegiate on Jan. 18.

Crusader Garner Matthews (13) controls the ball before scoring two points.

W-O's Jacob Curtis guards an offensive play by KCI's Brad McGuirk.

KCI's Julian Greer leaps over defenders Alex Trotter (12) and Garner Matthews (13).

Wilmot council takes to the ice

Wilmot’s new council took to the ice at the Wilmot Recreation Complex on Sunday to host a free public skate and meet and greet for Wilmot residents. The township provided free refreshments for everyone who came out for the afternoon event that attracted about 100 skaters. Here councillors, from left, Al Junker, Jeff Gerber, Peter Roe, Mark Murray and Barry Fisher, surround Mayor Les Armstrong, second from right, on the west rink.

Parents visit Baden’s new Sir Adam Beck school

Lucas Jantzi shows his mom Amanda the picture of his senior kindergarten class on the new school's freshly-painted wall.

Parents and children came to tour the brand-new Sir Adam Beck school on Thursday night. Teachers were on hand to welcome the families and show off their bright, colourful classrooms.

The students who will move from Baden Public School to this location have already visited their new classrooms and cafeteria. They will permanently switch to Sir Adam Beck on Jan. 10, and this openhouse was a chance for their parents to see the brand-new, $8.38 million school.

“They want to see where their kids are,” says music teacher Andrea Emrich. “All the kids have gone home and said how excited they are.”

Amanda Jantzi, who has two sons coming to Sir Adam Beck, said she was happy the students would have more space at their new school.

The school is also wired with the latest technologies, and Jantzi wanted to see those features as well.

To read more about the new school, click HERE.

Grade 1 students Isabella Davidson (left) and Abby Denomme stroll through their new library at Sir Adam Beck school.

Ice time at the grandstand

Taking advantage of the skating rink created by recent flood waters in Norm S. Hill Park, three-year-old Reese Van Tassel takes to the track in front of New Hamburg Grandstand on Jan.3.

Reese’s grandma Mary Pfaff says winter can be the best season if you take advantage of its beauty. Reese is son of Rob and Ann Van Tassel.

Giving hair and hope over the holidays

Emily Huras and Alexi Dakin showing off their long locks one last time.

 

By Deanna Dakin

Two young girls, best friends since Grade 1, decided back in October to add yet another thing to the list of experiences they share.  In between Christmas and New Years, when many children their age were playing with their new toys, both girls were thinking of a present they can give, something far more important than toys. They gave hope to kids with cancer.

Emily Huras and Alexi Dakin, both of New Hamburg, cut their long, light brown hair and donated the 10-inch pony tails to Angel Hair for Kids, a Mississauga charity that helps kids dealing with cancer and other diseases.  The foundation creates wigs and hair systems and provides them at no cost to the child’s family. It takes 10 -12 ponytails to make one wig and costs about $800.  Both girls have been growing their hair for several years to make sure it was the required length.

Sam Kalbfleisch, owner of Beyond Basics Hair Design in Philipsburg, donated her skills that gave both of the girls a new, exciting hairstyle. Sam donates her time and saves the ponytails she collects throughout the year and sends them directly to the company for processing.

For Alexi, her donation strikes close to home.  Her nana and great grandmother are currently battling breast cancer.

Alexi Dakin, Sam Kalbfleisch (Owner of Beyond Basics Hair Design) and Emily Huras happily showing off their new hair styles.