Local Retired Teacher With Cancer Ready To Take the Next Step

After being diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer and 30 years of teaching, local teacher Andrew Astrom is going from the classroom to the real estate world.

Astrom has played high school football with NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights insider and Peterborough native Gary Lawless. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

Astrom discovered his cancer on May 4 and had surgery on Aug. 5 where his thyroid and several lymph nodes were removed. He has lost most of his voice, has side neck pain and suffers nerve pain when he eats.

He retired from Holy Cross Secondary school in late December after the fall semester of last year following a 20-year tenure. He made his decision due to his cancer and influence from his recently retired colleague Andre Metivier.

Astrom retired from Holy Cross taking with him a lock, pictures of his sons and a Rubik’s cube. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

He spent his first five years teaching in Lindsay then worked at Immaculate Conception School in Peterborough for another five. The rest of his tenure was spent at Holy Cross teaching a variety of subjects but with a focus on social sciences.

"There were some tough days in education but most of it has been great,” reflected Astrom. “The kids you meet, the colleagues you have, just the added experiences of sports and all of those things. It's been an amazing run.

Astrom with his wife Tammie have three sons together with two of them as collegiate quarterbacks. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

Astrom is following in his wife’s footsteps as a real estate agent with Bowes & Cocks. He is close to having full certification as the next step of his life. He says he refuses to let his cancer hold him down from being a functional member of society.

“I've just said it's time to get going here,” remarked Astrom. “I'm not a good victim, I'm not a good patient so I had to find a way for me to get back to being useful.”

Astrom is scheduled for a follow-up surgery at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto later this year.

Some of his hobbies include woodworking and playing guitar. He has been the offensive coordinator for the Holy Cross football team during the school’s second season in 2003.

After 30 years of teaching, Astrom says he will miss all the students he has met over the years.

“I will always love being in front of kids,” he said. “There’s a lot of kids that have connected with my style and my personality and a lot who didn’t. I don’t take it personally but I will miss all the kids.”

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Peterborough Public Health Provides Guidance to Reduce COVID-19 Spread Schools to Families

Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough Public Health’s (PPH) medical officer of health has outlined the steps he strongly recommends local school families take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools in a letter released Thursday.

Dr. Thomas Piggott (pictured) became Peterborough Public Health’s medical officer of health on Dec. 1. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health.

“This is a difficult time to be a parent and/or caregiver, and the return to in-person learning is a tough decision to make,” said Dr. Piggott. “I want to assure families that PPH, in partnership with district school boards, is working diligently to ensure protective measures are in place for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission in schools.”

The full letter can be read here.

In his letter, Dr. Piggott described the recommendations that were developed for Peterborough County and City schools in consultation with the Provincial Government’s Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. They focused on the following key areas: 

• Close monitoring of school absenteeism rates, and the results of rapid-antigen tests including those submitted to PPH through this online survey (https://chkmkt.com/RAT21). If indicators demonstrate the spread of COVID-19 exceeds set thresholds, unvaccinated students will be recommended for dismissal for five days to self-isolate. 

• Submitting rapid-antigen test results (positive or negative) to PPH’s confidential online survey at https://chkmkt.com/RAT21

• Getting vaccinated with at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine for students aged 5 - 17 years. Second doses are available 56 days (eight weeks) after the first dose. Appointments are available through the provincial booking system https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or by calling for assistance at 1- 833-943-3900.

At all local schools, wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing, completing the daily screening tool and not attending school if students or a household member is symptomatic are key public health measures.

Dr. Piggott also encourages parents and caregivers to watch the webinar entitled “ABCs of Back to In-person Learning” he gave last Thursday answering their frequently asked questions about the reopening of schools to in-person learning.

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Peterborough Petes Launch Virtual School Visits

The Peterborough Petes have launched their Virtual School Visit program where educators can host Petes players to their class announced Monday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The sessions contain 45-minute visits that include a question and answer period with players addressing topics like the importance of mental and physical health and a physical activity.

With the challenging year for the education system, the Petes want to continue to connect with students who have demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and educators who have gone over and above for their community according to the release.

“School visits were a marquee part of the Petes community outreach programming and we want to continue to host them,” said Morgan Blaind, Petes coordinator, administration and community engagement. “Our players look forward to connecting with students and educators.”

School visits will be hosted entirely online and educators will need to have access to video conferencing technology such as: Zoom, Google Meets or Microsoft Teams.

Petes players can either join an in-person class using SMART Board or other conferencing technology or can join a fully virtual class using the video call platform already in place. You can register by clicking here.

Educators and schools should contact Morgan Blaind at (705) 743-3681 ext. 221 or mblaind@gopetesgo.com with any questions regarding the virtual school visits. Due to high demand, a visit cannot be guaranteed for every class.

The Petes are asking fans to submit photos and videos cheering on our players following the latest restrictions that prevent fans from attending home games. To learn how to cheer them on, click here.

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Almost Four Million Rapid Antigen Test Delivered to School Boards for Return to In-Person Learning

The Ontario Government will launch school-based vaccine clinics for youth and staff, along with a significant deployment of 3.9 million rapid antigen tests being shipped to school boards announced on Wednesday.

School boards are being requested to collect information on COVID-19 booster dose coverage for individuals subject to school board immunization disclosure policies, as directed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Screenshot.

These new measures build on the province providing millions of high-quality masks for staff and students and thousands more HEPA filtration units according to the Ontario Government.

“We are meeting the unique challenges presented by the Omicron variant head-on as we do everything we can to support in-person learning,” said Stephen Lecce, minister of education. “Our government is taking nothing for granted, which is why we are launching school-based vaccination clinics, distributing millions of rapid antigen tests and have deployed non-fit-tested N95 masks to staff and three-ply masks to students.”

Vaccination is the province’s best defence against the highly transmissible Omicron variant as stated by the provincial government. Current vaccination rates among children aged 12 to 17 years old are encouraging with more than 82 per cent having received two doses.

Of children aged five to 11 years old, nearly 50 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but more can be done to encourage and support vaccination, which is why Ontario will launch school-based vaccine clinics when students return to in-person learning.

To further encourage voluntary vaccination for children aged 5 to 11, the government has asked school boards to work with local Public Health Units (PHUs) to add school-day vaccination clinics for students (i.e. during instructional hours).

School boards are also expected to work with local PHUs and share documents and other information with families, such as resources available at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-children-and-youth.

In the coming days, parents will receive a form offering the opportunity to safely and conveniently provide public health units the authority to vaccinate their children at a school-based vaccine clinic.

To help stabilize workforce and student participation, beginning the week of Jan. 17, the Ontario Government will also provide rapid antigen tests for students and staff in public elementary and secondary schools, along with children and staff in child care settings.

Over 3.9 million rapid antigen tests are being shipped to school boards this week, with additional tests to be delivered next week. The use of the tests is for symptomatic individuals, who will be required to take two rapid tests 24 hours apart and upon negative results can return to class.

Additional measures in place to prepare for the return to in-person learning include the following:

• High-Quality Masks: Providing access to more than 10 million non-fit-tested N95 masks to all education and child care staff – the only province to do so – with more than four million three-ply cloth masks for students recently shipped for use in schools.

• Improved Ventilation: Deploying an additional 3,000 standalone HEPA filter units to learning environments, building on the ventilation improvement measures already in place at every school across Ontario including the more than 70,000 HEPA filter units and other ventilation devices that have been provided and mechanical ventilation upgrades.

• Stricter Screening: Updated and stricter screening requirements for students and staff including daily onsite confirmation of screening.

• Historic Funding: School board access to $1.6 billion in resources to protect against COVID-19, including supports for mental health, technology, over 2,350 additional staff and ventilation.

• Access to Additional Educators: Access to retired educators for a longer period of time following a recent agreement with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, and access to first-year teacher candidates who are deemed eligible.

• Enhanced Cohorting and Cleaning: New time-limited cohorting protocols to limit direct and indirect contacts by pausing high-contact extracurricular sports, stricter lunch cohort requirements, and elevated cleaning requirements at all schools.

To further support staffing stability and reduce disruption for students, families, and education and child care staff, the government is further expanding access to vaccines by:

• Supporting a mass vaccination clinic at the International Centre with dedicated times for education and child care staff

• Opening 10 vaccination clinics across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that offer dedicated time slots for education and child care staff

• Encouraging public health units to support accelerated access to boosters.

More than five million Ontarians have already received a booster shot and the above vaccination options are in addition to those also being offered locally by public health units across the province.

With these measures in place — including new testing options and expanded access to vaccination — and continuous improvement to ventilation, the Ontario government is supporting access to in-person learning with greater stability for students and families. Remote learning will remain an option for those families wishing to access it.

“In-person learning is critical to the mental health and well-being of our children and youth,” said Dr. Moore. “In light of the unique challenges posed by the Omicron variant, my team and I will continue to work with the education sector to review all of our guidelines and all environmental, health, cleaning, and ventilation standards to ensure our schools remain as safe as possible for all.”

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Fleming College Makes Winter Semester Changes Amid COVID-19 Concerns

Fleming College has delayed the start of their winter semester by a week and the first two weeks will be online announced by the college on Thursday.

Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.

The decision was made due to the surging cases of COVID-19’s Omicron variant. Winter semester classes start on Jan. 17 with the weeks of Jan. 17 and Jan. 24 will be delivered fully online. With a later start to the semester, it will end on April 29; a week later than the original date.

“It is our intention to return to campus on Monday, January 31 for hands-on and specialized courses with some continuation of online delivery where appropriate,” said Maureen Adamson, Fleming president.

There will be exceptions for a small number of specialized labs that may run during the week of Jan. 17. Students affected will be notified through their program area.

New students will be permitted to move into residence beginning Jan. 6 and 7 and anyone currently living on campus can return on Jan. 9. The college recommends that students consider staying at home until their onsite academic program begins.

With the federal government’s insistence, the college encourages students not to travel internationally during the holiday season to avoid the risk of infection or other complications.

Fleming encourages students and faculty to get a booster shot as soon as possible for the health and safety of everyone as they become available on Monday.

“It’s particularly frustrating during this time of year when we would like to be celebrating with large groups of friends and family,” said Adamson. “Unfortunately, those large gatherings will have to wait, but we hope that everyone can find some joy and safe togetherness during the break. Happy holidays and stay safe.”

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Trent University Ranked First In Canada For Sustainability Education and Research

Trent University has been ranked number one in Canada for sustainability education and research by the 2021 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings announced on Thursday.

Photo Courtesy of Trent University.

Trent is also recognized as one of Canada’s top three environmental universities.

“Trent prides itself on its commitment to positive outcomes for the natural environment, and is committed to the GreenMetric rankings because they are a way to judge what is working,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, Trent president and vice-chancellor. “Our bump up into the top spot in Canada for sustainability education and research can be attributed to a variety of academic developments this past year, which include new degree programs and specializations.” 

The GreenMetric ranking is the first university ranking in the world that measures participating universities’ commitment in developing environmentally-friendly infrastructure.

The ranking is based on performance across six categories: education and research, setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, and transportation. Trent is among 956 universities from around the world that participated in this year’s global ranking.

For the second consecutive year, Trent has ranked as the third-most sustainable university in Canada and remains in the top 15 per cent of sustainable universities worldwide across all six categories.

This year’s rankings also position the University as #1 in Canada in the education and research category (up from #2 last year) and #2 in Canada in both the waste and setting and infrastructure categories.

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New Exhibition 'Past Presents' Opens At Peterborough Museum And Archives

This winter the Peterborough Museum & Archives will present its newest exhibition: Past Presents. This exhibit will share the stories of various gifts that were given and received from those in our community.

“I’m hoping this exhibit brings back some nostalgic feelings for visitors,” said Kim Reid, Curator at the museum. “Past Presents is an exhibit that’s been curated in-house, using artifacts from our permanent collection that were donated by people who once lived in Peterborough. We want visitors who see these gifts on display to have moments to enjoy their own fond memories of some of their own past presents. This exhibition will surely put you in the gift-giving spirit this holiday season. As the old adage goes, it’s better to give than to receive.”

The exhibition features a variety of artifacts – each of which have their own unique story about the context in which they were given as a gift.

Objects range in age, dating from as early as the 1880s through the 1960s.

Included in the displays are a collection of dolls, quilts, small appliances, and children’s toys among other items. One of the strangest gifts is a lead plaque that was given to paperboys by the Winnipeg Free Press in 1913 at Christmas as a thank you.

Past Presents is the final temporary exhibition presented at the Peterborough Museum & Archives in 2021. The exhibition will open on Saturday and be on display until March 20, 2022. Admission is by donation.

At time of release, current COVID-related rules for visiting include self-screening for symptoms prior to entering the museum, wearing a mask while on-site, and maintaining physical distancing from others.

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Trent University and ClearWater Farm Partner to Enrich Hands-on Learning and Research Opportunities for Students

With a mutual goal of preparing the sustainable agriculture leaders of the future, Trent University and ClearWater Farm are collaborating to enhance research and hands-on learning opportunities for students at the University.

L-R: Trent University Professors Dr. Shaun Watmough, Dr. Karen Thompson, acting Vice-President of Research and Innovation, Dr. Cathy Bruce, and Executive Director of the Ontario Water Centre, Colin Dobell. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“Trent University is excited to be partnering with ClearWater Farm. Our mutual interests and expertise in small-scale sustainable agriculture will enhance student and farmer-apprentice skills through practical experiences. Our students will build connections with farming experts at ClearWater, who can advise and support them as they enter the agriculture sector,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, acting vice-president of Research and Innovation at Trent. “This partnership will also leverage Trent’s research expertise in the School of the Environment, and we look forward to collaborating on research initiatives to support sustainable practices, including addressing local and regional food security.”

Through the Memorandum of Understanding, signed on December 1, 2021, the two institutions will explore new pathways to micro-credential and for-credit courses, research collaborations, experiential farming opportunities, and special events

ClearWater Farm is the flagship initiative of the Ontario Water Centre, an educational charitable organization aimed at nurturing young the eco-leaders of the future through youth-oriented experiential learning programs that showcase water-wise practices and technologies.

Over the past four years the Ontario Water Centre has developed, piloted and rolled out the Young Agripreneurs program, a multi-year apprenticeship based at ClearWater Farm designed to help young people transition to a career in regenerative agriculture. Its partnership with Trent University will allow ClearWater to expand its educational farming endeavors to the post-secondary education sector.

“In the short-term, while we are focused on the experiential dimensions of new farmer education, we believe academic learning provides an essential complementary framework for developing true expertise,” said Colin Dobell, executive director of the Ontario Water Centre. “We are hoping to partner with Trent to co-develop micro-credentialing opportunities for our ‘agripreneurs’ in a variety of fields required to succeed as a regenerative farmer.”

The partnership will enhance the commitment of both organizations to environmental science and greentech, small-scale sustainable agriculture, and learning from Indigenous knowledge and practices.

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Peterborough Trustee Braden Leal Elected as PVNC Catholic Board Chairperson

Peterborough trustee Braden Leal was acclaimed as Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board chairperson during the Board’s annual meeting on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of PVNC.

Leal has been serving as vice-chairperson since Oct. 26, 2021. He has served three years in the trustee role, having been elected as first-time trustee in the 2018 municipal election.

“I am honoured to take on this new role. I am a proud PVNC graduate, and I look forward to working with my fellow trustees as we continue to guide the Board through these challenging times,” Leal said. “The pandemic continues to place extreme pressures on our staff, students and families and our work as trustees has never been more vital as we strive for excellence in Catholic Education and to educate students in faith-filled, loving, safe, inclusive schools.”

Clarington trustee Kevin MacKenzie was acclaimed vice-chairperson. MacKenzie also marked three years as a trustee, elected as first-time trustee in the 2018 municipal election.

Leal takes over the chairperson role from Northumberland trustee David Bernier, who was elected to the role in December 2020. Bernier has been a trustee for 15 years and previously served as Board chairperson from 2008 through 2010. Leal acknowledged Bernier’s service in the chairperson role and thanked him for his leadership over the past year.

Trustees Helen McCarthy (Peterborough) and Linda Ainsworth (Clarington) have both served on the Board for seven years, having first been elected in October 2014.

Trustee Emmanuel Pinto (Peterborough County) marked three years in his role. Tuesday was the first annual board meeting for newly appointed Kawartha Lakes trustee Loretta Durst, who officially joined the Board during the Nov. 23, 2021 regular board meeting.

During Tuesday’s annual board meeting, trustees were also appointed to standing and ad-hoc Board committees.

Peterborough Bishop Daniel Miehm celebrated mass following the annual board meeting.

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Fleming College Free Forestry Program Invites Students to Grow Their Future

Fleming College is inviting students to grow their future with their free Skills Advance Ontario Forestry program.

As the forestry industry in City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Peterborough, and Northumberland continues to grow there is becoming more of a need for skilled workers.

This four week, free program is designed to build skills and prepare students for entry-level jobs in the forestry industry.

The next intake of participants will begin at the Fleming College Lindsay campus on Jan. 3 and 31 2022 and Feb. 28, 2022.

In addition to essential workplace skills like resume writing, and health and safety training, this course includes:

• Introduction to the Forestry Industry

• Managed Forest Tour

• Introduction to Forestry in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region

• Common Trees and Shrubs of Ontario

• Forest Navigation and Inventory

• Forest Measurement Techniques

• Introduction to Woodland Firefighting

• Introduction to Scaling and Milling

• Tree Felling

• Introduction to Forest Inventory and Analysis

• Introduction to Tree Marking

• Forestry Small Equipment Operation

“This might interest someone who is looking for a career change, or someone who has always been interested in the forestry sector but never been able to commit to a full time program,” said Tara Douglas, project manager.

Participants in the SAO Forestry program should be in good physical condition, and able to lift 12 pounds and walk across rough terrain.

Participants must be:

• 18 years of age or older

• Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident

• Residents of Ontario

• Currently unemployed or under-employed (less than 20/hrs a week);

• Not currently in education or training

Throughout the program participants will maintain contact with their designated Employment Consultant who will assist them in their job search.

Workers who are already employed within the forestry industry sector or within wood products manufacturing facilities can upgrade their skills through Algonquin and Fleming colleges. Both colleges have developed industry-recommended training programs.

Fleming is continuing to work with employers to identify skills gaps so that we can collectively build a stronger forestry workforce for the future.

This program is being offered in collaboration with Algonquin College.

SAO Forestry is an Employment Ontario program funded by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Canada-Ontario Job Fund Agreement.

To fill out an application click here.

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