By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The Davidson School class of 2028 is off to a good start, if their numbers are any indication.

This fall will see the school welcome its largest Kindergarten class in at least a decade, principal Jason Low announced at a recent meeting.

Low told the school’s community council during its meeting Tuesday that a total of 29 students are expected to begin Kindergarten this fall.

Over the last decade, the number of students beginning Kindergarten in Davidson School each year has typically run in the high teens or low twenties, reaching a recent low of 12 students in 2009.

The influx of beginners will have a significant impact on the school’s enrolment numbers, especially given that just seven Davidson students will graduate from Grade 12 this spring.

Low said the jump in enrolment will be reflected in higher staffing levels, as the school will see an increase equivalent to one-and-a-half full-time positions.

Such a large group of Kindergarten students will likely necessitate a split class divided between two teachers, Low added.

Those present at the meeting welcomed this as positive news, even though the increased numbers will bring new challenges to the school.

For instance, Low said there has already been some confusion regarding how the new Kindergarten class would be split.

At a recent meeting with parents, he reported, the staff sought some input on how the split would be determined.

“We were trying to be diplomatic,” he said, but the discussion that followed indicated there were some misconceptions as to what factors would play a role.

“The school team is going to split the kids based on what’s best for the students, and that’s the end of it,” Low explained.

Teacher and council member Sandra Baldwin said the reaction wasn’t unusual, explaining, “It’s perfectly normal if parents are feeling that anxiety, especially if they’re new parents.”

Grade 2 teacher Laura Willner said the council would play an important public relations role, helping to ensure parents that the right choices would be made for their children.

“Schools are going to make a responsible decision and look at all the pieces,” she said. “For lack of a better word, we need to sell the idea.”

Looking ahead to the 2016-17 school year, the large Kindergarten class will also have an impact on Davidson’s playschool program.

Once the 29 students begin attending school full-time, Low said, Davidson School will no longer have room to accommodate the playschool program. Organizers have been informed and advised to start seeking other arrangements.

Along with the increased staffing numbers, Davidson School will welcome four interns from the University of Regina this fall.

The University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon has yet to confirm its interns with the school, so the total number could still increase.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Balloon animals, a custom playhouse and Macho Harris were among the highlights of this year’s Davidson Trade and Hobby Show, held in the hockey rink at the Communiplex on April 10 and 11.

The show, which is held every second year, drew around 45 vendors, and attracted an estimated 800 guests over the weekend.

“I think it went over well,” said Donna Bessey, the town’s community development co-ordinator, who was the show’s key organizer. “We had lots of exhibitors, and lots of people went through.”

Many of the exhibitors featured attractions in their booths to draw visitors, including Young’s Equipment, which brought in Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back Macho Harris to sign autographs for two hours on Friday afternoon.

“He’s a great ambassador for the Riders,” said Rhonda Sarich, an administrative assistant for the dealership who organized their booth.

She said that Young’s Equipment had rented a booth in past years and expected they would do so again, saying, “I think it’s worthwhile . . . You’ve got to support your community.”

Another popular booth was operated by the Riverbend Co-op, offering cotton candy, a performer making balloon animals and other interactive features.

Tyler Alexander, who operates Davidson Home Audio Designs from his garage on First Street, set up a display of high-end audio equipment, as well as a selection of new pressings of both classic and recent releases on vinyl LPs.

Many guests also stopped by the Tomyn Construction booth to check out the custom playhouse that was donated to the Davidson Swimming Pool Committee and is featured as the top prize in their fundraising raffle.

While she appreciated all the vendors who took part in the show, Bessey said, “Those were the things that caught people’s eyes and really drew them in.”

Mayor Clayton Schneider said he was impressed with some of the innovative booths set up by vendors, adding, “I enjoyed this the most of all the trade shows I’ve ever attended.”

He also said he was especially pleased to see local businesses taking part, explaining, “We’re just so blessed to have people like that in our community . . . They are definitely what drives the community.”

Many of the exhibitors remarked that traffic was slow on Friday afternoon but picked up later in the evening, and especially on Saturday, as Manz’s Auctioneering Service held its spring consignment sale in the adjacent curling rink.

Having observed the same over the past few shows, Bessey said that in future years it might be a good idea to reduce the hours on the Friday afternoon.

The show featured about 25 local exhibitors and 20 visiting from communities such as Outlook, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Wolseley and as far away as Fort Macleod, Alta.

“It would have been nice to have more of a presence from Davidson,” Bessey remarked, adding that the lack of accommodation available here is also a limiting factor in that regard.

Prior to last weekend, Bessey had said she suspected this could be the final year for the show, owing to the level of work involved and the few hands available. Traditionally, the show had been organized by the now-defunct Davidson and District Business Association.

“Since we’ve had the trade show, I’ve had a few businesses say, ‘We have to keep this going,’” she said, noting that the decision would be up to town council. “We’ll see where it goes from here.”