North Okanagan-Shuswawp School District #83 Zone Finals Public Speaking Competition

Public speaking is challenging, it takes courage to get up in front of a group of people and speak. That is just what 8 students from Grindrod, Ashton Creek, Parkview and Carlin schools did today May14th at Grindrod Elementary. They were in the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District #83 Zone finals Public Speaking Competition. Grade 7 speakers Arusha Bruns of Grindrod, her speech title “High School”, Arulia Puchinger of Ashton Creek her speech title “The Mayan Calender and the End of the World”, Liam Sutherland of Parkview his title “Bacon”. Liam was the winner in the grade 7 speakers. His speech was as humorous as he was serious in his presentation of how much and how many kinds of bacon that he loved. Is there really such a thing as squeezable bacon? Liam was easy to hear and he didn't use notes.

In the Grade 6 speakers we had Kyona Bruns of Grindrod her title was “The Vancouver Canucks”, Maia Charleston of Parkview her title “Laughing” and Brandon Gosselin of Ashton Creek his title “Hobbies”. The winner in the grade 6 category is Kyona Bruns. Kyona started out her speech as if she were interviewing Don Cherry with wishful thinking. She had a lot of interesting facts and I think her dream job will someday be a hockey announcer, like Don Cherry. Kyona has a clear voice with good modulation.

The Grade 5 speakers were Taryn Bottcher of Carlin her speech title was “Bulling”, Trinity Marshall of Ashton Creek with her title being “Dirt Biking”. The winner in the grade 5 is Trinity Marshall. The judges had a very difficult choice in the grade 5 outcome, they were just a few points apart. Taryn had an important message on Bulling and how to deal with it. Trinity talked about something she loved, a sport that is dominantly male.

I wish the best to all these kids.

The Judges,  Jenny Clark, Nancy Shopland and Elaine Cook

Grade 7 speakers Arulia Puchinger, Liam Sutherland and Arusha Bruns

Grade 6 speakers, Kyona Bruns, Brandon Gosselin, Maia Charleston

Photo op

Grade 5 speakers, Trinity Marshall, Taryn Bottcher

In the center Grindrod's proud Principal Deni McKinney, Elaine Cook  and Nancy Shopland.

Salmon, How Sacred Are They to You?

Salmon Are Sacred

Salmon have a great sense of smell, if they could smell a Hero they would award Alexandra Morton with the honor of “Salmon Hero”. No one wakes up on any morning and says I am going to be a hero today. Alexandra Morton is a Reluctant Hero of the Salmon, as a marine biologist she wants to be out on the water watching the whales. The Salmon have called to her, for 22 years she has been trying to get the Salmon feed lots off wild Salmon migration routes. The Salmon, Alexandra, First Nations, bears, and the Eagles all need our help.

The Salmon are dying from viruses that have been introduced by the Salmon farms owned and operated by Norwegian companies. Some of the viruses have been 100% fatal to Salmon. For more info on the viruses go to www.alexandramorton.typepad.com

What can you do ?

Stop buying farmed Salmon.

Write to your council and Mayor, “Please put a moratorium on Farmed Salmon in our Municipality.”

Talk to your grocer about not supplying Farmed Salmon

A $100 donation will send one fish to a lab to be tested for the ISA virus.

Write letters to anyone you think can help.

Join www.salmonaresacred.org

Salmon Are Sacred

Karen and Alexandra, The Ok/Shuswap Federal NDP organized a tour for Alexandra, I went to the one in Enderby at the Seniors Center. Well done a good number of people turned out and the chocolate zucchini cake was exquisite.  I gave Alexandra the envelop with a cheque for $100 from the Ok/Shuswap Green Party of Canada. It will send one Salmon to a lab to be tested for the ISA virus.

general Inquiries e-mail: info@salmonaresacred.org

The poster

This is the cover of a hand out with graphs and more info on the three viruses killing Salmon.

This is the back page of the handout, love the picture of Alexandra shopping for fish, to be tested.

I stopped eating Salmon when they started to decline, as a vegetarian it was easy, I also felt the bears, eagles and First Nations should have first choice.
I can not imagine a world with out Salmon. They give so much to this earth and are integral to the ecosystem. Please help the Wild Salmon. No more fish farms on our oceans.

Absolute Style 2012 UFV Fashion Design Program Year-End Show

As an alumni of the Fashion Design program at Abbotsford's UFV, I was treated to a ticket to the year-end Fashion Show, Absolute Style, the Alumni Association even reserved  front row seats for us. I was proud of the fact that our graduating class choice the title Absolute Style and it is still being used. Graduating in 2000 we didn't get the computer programs that are available to the students today, you could see the difference in the portfolios. We only had sample programs, if you didn't get your work done by the end of the class you couldn't save your work. The show started out with bathing suits. From the 281 photo's that I took I have 62 to share with you.                                                                          

This got a good laugh from the audience. 

"Della Terra Design" Dawn Michelle Post-graduate collection. These designs are inspired by the earth, transforming cotton, silk, linen and paper with plant extracts, rust and mineral pigments.

Surface design was my favorite class. Transforming fabrics into pieces of art, by dying, twisting, stamping, painting, folding(Shibori), bleaching , amazing. 

Weaving

Machine knitting.

Draping. the hats were extravagant. Draping is done but designing on a dress form.

 Graduate Collections 2012

"Brazen" Samantha Merritt

"Honey Han" Seoheui Han

"Be Admired" Samantha Proche

"World Citizens" Ingrid Silveira

"Saut de Lange design" Carly Lunde

"Cocoon Clothing" Julie Darel

"Soprie" Laura Auffray

"A B designs" Amelia Mayo

 The Graduates.

Samantha Merritt "Brazen"

Seoheui Han "Honey Han"

Samantha Proche "Be Admired"

Ingrid Silveira "World Citizens"

Carly Lunde "Saute de Lange design"

Julia Darel "Cocoon Clothing"

Laura Auffray "Soprie"

Amelia Mayo "A B designs"

Dawn Michelle Russell "Della Terra designs" Post-graduate collection.

International Shibori Exhibition Hong Kong. Kim Kokoszka was the only Canadian selected by an international jury, with over 100 entries from thirteen countries. Her piece was carefully folded and dyed from one single piece of fabric to create  a garment.

Abbotsford has a Tartan and it was designed by Samantha Merritt. Christine Wiebe thought Abbotsford should have a Tartan and now they a registered tartan.

Dr. Mark Evered also the Master Of Ceremony, never thought he would be wearing a kilt.

The most Creative award goes to Samantha Merritt

Most marketable award goes to Julie Darel

Most Technical award goes to Ingrid Silveira

Anne De Verteuil. Spent many long hours working the fashion shows over the years and taught surface design. This year she got front row seats and enjoyed the show. 

Samantha Merritt and her winning collection.

                                                         I wish the best to all the students for their future creativity.  

If you are interested in more info on the Fashion Design program visit    http://www.ufv.ca/fashion