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.

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.