Alyssa Evashenko, a Grade 12 student at Kenaston School, is headed to Toronto in May to take part in the Canadian Model and Talent Convention.
By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — Alyssa Evashenko knows the value of a first impression.
She’ll be trying her best to make it a good one when she visits Toronto in May for the Canadian Model and Talent Convention.
Evashenko, 18, a Grade 12 student at Kenaston School, will be taking part in the four-day convention.
The event includes workshops, seminars and competition, and provides an opportunity for aspiring models, actors, singers and dancers to gain education, experience and exposure.
Between 380 and 400 participants from across Canada will be attending, vying for the attention of dozens of talent agents, scouts and managers.
Evashenko said she attended an audition in Saskatoon in December after hearing about it from a friend.
There, participants went through a short interview process, and those who made the cut were invited to the Toronto convention.
“They just judge you pretty much based off of your personality,” said Evashenko. “I didn’t expect to get chosen.”
Her interview went well, and she was invited to the convention, which runs May 11 to 14 at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel.
For the full story, please see the April 24 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
The Kenaston Kodiaks pose with the championship plaque after winning gold at 1A senior girls basketball provincials in Regina on March 25. Pictured are (from left) coach Jenna Zdunich Fisher, Jessica Zdunich, Calina Evans, Leah Libke, Alyssa Evashenko, Ann Ulmer, Eve Matovich, Rachael Matovich, Morgan Taylor, Kylee Evans, Anne-Marie Collins and coach Gene Zdunich.
By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — It was a fight to the finish for the Kenaston Kodiaks, and this time they came out on top.
The senior girls basketball team won gold at Hoopla 1A provincials in Regina on March 25 with a 53-47 win over Middle Lake.
“It was hard-fought,” said Jenna Zdunich Fisher, who coached the Kenaston team with her father, Gene Zdunich.
“It was a battle, like it always is in that last game of the year,” she added. “They gave everything they got, and so did we.”
The Kodiaks were on their way to the provincial championship after hosting regional play the weekend of March 17, defeating both Cupar and Gladmar.
They played their provincial games at the University of Regina, opening the weekend against Lake Lenore on March 24.
“We had a slow start,” said Fisher. “It took us a while to get a basket.”
After faltering in the first quarter, the Kodiaks recovered and played three strong quarters.
Kenaston led 27-13 at half-time and ultimately won 62-42. Ann Ulmer was their leading scorer with 21 points.
For the final, they faced Middle Lake with the game scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday evening.
“It’s always nice to have that last game of the day,” Fisher remarked. “We don’t have to rush off the court at the end.”
The Kodiaks had to work hard before they could savour the taste of victory again.
While the team played well in both directions, Fisher said the score was close throughout.
Kenaston led 28-26 at half-time and eventually won the game 53-47, with a lead of just six points.
Ann Ulmer was again the Kodiaks’ top scorer with 17 points. Rachael Matovich and Morgan Taylor also cracked double digits, each scoring 10 points.
This was the final game for Ulmer and two of her classmates, Alyssa Evashenko and Kylee Evans.
Fisher said the three players would be missed next year as they each made a strong contribution to the team’s success.
The win meant the oldest players got to bookend their careers with provincial wins.
The team last won gold in 2013 — when the oldest players were in Grade 8 — followed by back-to-back silver medals in ’14 and ’15, and bronze last year.
“We really had to fight for this one,” said Fisher. “Their character showed . . . It was awesome to end (the season) with a gold this year.”
Grade 4 student Kash Ringdal demonstrates iPad apps to his uncle Luke Ringdal and Chantalle Bussiere during Kenaston School’s learning expo on Thursday.
By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — To older eyes, the school of the 21st century may seem somewhat foreign, and each classroom looks a little different.
Open the door, and you might find students working in groups or on their own, under a teacher’s direct supervision or at their own pace.
They may be paging through a textbook or using a tablet or computer to guide their learning.
Even the posture is different. They might be sitting behind a desk, curled up in a cozy chair or even sprawled out on a yoga mat.
“A lot of people don’t quite get what we do in school these days,” said Kenaston School principal Greg McJannet. “They want to know how learning happens nowadays.”
That was the impetus behind the school’s first-ever learning expo, held Thursday night with upwards of 150 people in attendance.
McJannet described the event as a student-led showcase of what modern learning looks like in Kenaston.
Rather than forcing all students to learn the same way, the new approach recognizes that each one learns differently. Teachers become facilitators, allowing students to guide their own education.
Thursday’s event was planned in much the same way, McJannet said, explaining, “We really place the onus on kids to share and talk about what they learn with parents.”
The afternoon began at 3:30 with scheduled teacher and parent conferences.
Afterward, chili and buns were served by the Grade 9 practical and applied arts class, with the meal sponsored by the Kenaston School Community Council (SCC).
The expo kicked off with a performance by the circus club, featuring plate spinning and acrobatic acts.
Dr. Guy Tétrault, director of education for Sun West School Division, spoke about the division’s Personalized Electronically Blended Learning (PeBL) initiatives.
“It’s a very different world out there,” Tétrault remarked. “You as parents want us to ensure that your kids are ready for it.”
Kenaston SCC chairperson Tara Rink also spoke about the council’s role and activities, later introducing the other council members and encouraging interested people to attend their annual general meeting on April 26.
Afterward, parents and other guests toured the school, visiting classrooms where students had set up stations and demonstrations.
For the full story, please see the March 27 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
The Pavelich farmhouse northeast of Kenaston was destroyed by fire March 8.
By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — Carmelle Pavelich can instantly remember what time it was when her son Dallas phoned to tell her the family home was on fire.
It was 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 when she took the call.
“I was just about to say my rosary,” she said. “I went immediately out there . . . I watched it for three-and-a-half hours. I sat in my vehicle out on the road there and I watched it.”
The two-storey farm house — located six miles east, two miles north and another half-mile east of Kenaston — was built in 1919.
It had been the Pavelich family’s home for more than 55 years. Her late husband George had purchased the farm from his uncle Rocko.
Carmelle said she and George moved in on their second wedding anniversary on April 18, 1961. She gave birth to their oldest son Kurt two weeks later.
“It was a well-built house,” she recalled. “It was sure cold in the wintertime, though.”
They raised three children, including their daughter Joy and their youngest son Dallas, in that house, constructing an addition in the mid-1970s.
“There’s so much loss you can’t even begin to think about it,” said Carmelle. “It’s just like a death.”
Dallas and his partner, Lynda Sereda, were living in the house most recently.
Lynda was home alone the evening of March 5 when she discovered the fire. She left the house right away, grabbing a pair of Dallas’s work boots on the way out.
Having left her phone behind, she went to a neighbour’s house to call Dallas, who was on his way to Saskatoon for a shopping trip.
Upon taking Lynda’s call, Dallas immediately called 911 to report the fire before phoning his mother with the news.
Ken Remmen, deputy chief of the Kenaston Volunteer Fire Department, said they received the call around 8:30 p.m. A total of 14 members responded.
A benefit night was being organized for Dallas and Lynda on Saturday, March 18 at the rink, with wings on the menu and music by Will Ardell.
A trust fund has been established for the couple, and donations are being taken at the Kenaston village office and at Affinity Credit Union.
For the full story, please see the March 20 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
Eugene (Gene) Anton Oct. 8, 1944 — March 8, 2017
Gene passed away at his home in Sherbrooke Community Centre, Saskatoon, with his sister Fran and brother-in-law Bill by his side.
He was predeceased by his father and mother Eugene and Anna, brother Hugh and sister Julie Taylor.
He is survived by sisters Fran (Bill) Moncrief, Dorothy Goldsborough, Betty (Len) Benko, Judy (Doug) Parker; brothers Bill (Shirley), Bernie, and several nieces and nephews.
We will all miss his quick wit and determination in light of the many trials he endured in his life.
A special thank you to Dr. Kurt Roelens and the entire staff at Sherbrooke for the excellent care and love shown to Gene during all his years at the centre.
Graveside service to follow at a later date.
Hanson’s Funeral Home (Davidson) in charge of arrangements. Donations may be made to the Sherbrooke Community Centre or the Kenaston Cemetery Fund.
Davidson goalie Daxton Tichit stops a shot by Kash Ringdal.
By Joel van der Veen
KENASTON — A hard-fought series between two local teams ended in victory for the Davidson Atom Huskies.
The Davidson atom team faced the Kenaston/Loreburn team — nicknamed the “Blizzteeners,” a combination of “Blizzards” and “19ers” — in the opening round of Fertile Valley Hockey League playoffs.
The Huskies hosted the first game in the two-game, total-point series on Feb. 24. The host team racked up a 5-1 lead in the first period and ultimately won 7-2.
Kenaston hosted the second game on Feb. 27, drawing a large crowd to the Kenaston Arena.
The host team was in fine form, leading 3-2 after the first period. Davidson broke away in the game’s final minutes, pulling off a 7-4 win. (The Huskies won the two-game series 14 points to 6.)
For the full story and more photos, please see the March 6 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe.
