North Easthope Public School gets a boost in funding for a new playground

North Easthope Public School principal Charles Longston accepts a $3,000 cheque from Shakespeare Optimist president Mike McNeil and past president Pete Kreyger. Contributed photo

By Gary West

North Easthope Public School principal Charles Longston was the guest speaker at January’s monthly dinner meeting of the Shakespeare Optimist Club.

He described to members the curriculum teachers in the Avon Maitland District School Board are teaching to the 185 students presently occupying kindergarten to Grade 8 classrooms at the school.

With an abundance of new houses in the catchment area of the school, the school board is estimating there will be an increase of 260 students for North Easthope school over the next five to six years.

He said one of the big changes in the province this year is students are no longer allowed to have cellphones in class, which was met with approval from the members present.

The principal, is in his third year at the rural school, previously served as principal at Shakespeare Public School in Stratford.

He also thanked the club for purchasing whiteboards as teacher aids for classes in the past. He said they now have three Promethean boards in classrooms and explained to the group how these boards enhance teachers’ ability to teach various subjects.

The club presented Longston with a cheque for $3,000 as their donation toward the school’s new playground to be built this year. This was the club’s second $3,000 donation in two years.

The fundraising committee has raised $59,000 toward the goal of raising $85,000 for the playground. The school hopes to have the playground completed once their goal has been met.