MINDEMOYA—Within moments of Central Manitoulin Public School (CMPS) opening its doors Monday evening, September 22, throngs of children and their parents, filed into the gymnasium. The room was filled with tables laden with arts, crafts, flower arrangements, vegetable displays, baked goods, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations and other imaginative creations—all student-made. It was like Christmas as the kids dashed to find their entries to see how they placed. Shouts of excitement filled the hall, and not just for their own winnings but for their siblings and friends as well.

The categories were numerous and divided according to grade level. Students could show their artistic abilities by creating sunflowers or drawing plants and animals; there was a category for designing quilt blocks, objects made of wood. Building birdhouses was popular, and Lego creations. Building a campfire (not a real one), and there was pebble art. There were traditional and imaginative Thanksgiving centre pieces, there were creative candles, a decorated paddle (one) and painted rocks. Flower arrangements in unusual containers was a popular choice, decorated cupcakes, pumpkin muffins and bannock. The students could enter one or many categories and lots of the younger students did indeed enter several.
Trinity Dagenais-Colard, a Grade 3 student, placed first in entering the largest maple leaf, sewing a button and her Thanksgiving centre piece, but she was most proud of her birdhouse, for which she also won first place. Ben Mahoney, a senior kindergartener, placed first with his Christmas decoration and his decorated paddle. Third grader Deacon Douglas was thrilled to come in second with his campfire creation. Jonathon Orford, a Grade 4 student walked away with first place for his bannock, his corn stalks and his sunflower. Gabe Whalen had a magnificent pumpkin entry which took first place and for which both he and his parents were very proud. Gabe is in Grade 2.

All the children were winners in the hall that night, for their effort and their support of each other. The creativity on display was a tribute to the students, the teachers and their families. They say, ‘It takes a village,’ and that tenet is quite apparent at CMPS.

“I’m glad to see they’re still doing this,” said one happy grandparent as she left the building. Everyone was glad, it seemed.

by Margery Frisch