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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012 THE NEW TANNER Ace students celebrated Acton District High School recently celebrated students who have made a positive difference to the school community at an Achievers Breakfast. Achievers are students who: · helped his/her peers succeed · took a risk and tried something new and challenging · made great improvement in attitude or marks · achieved something outside of school that we should know about · otherwise performed above and beyond the call of duty 13 ACE STUDENTS: Acton District High School achievers - Submitted photo This semester's winners included: Alexandra Armstrong Bree Moore-Ambrozic Christian Begain Brad Reynolds Michaela DeWolff Alexander Robertson Austin Dupuis-Andrady Kayla St. Pierre Allison Foot Kyle Summers Kenny Kilpatrick Brandon Tosh Jan-Willem Lamberink Tyler Weylie Jessica Marchment Courtney Wruck Kyle Moore Veterans retiring from Acton District High School Axtmann, Filson and Kukkonen will be missed by staff and students With a total of 92 years of teaching/administra tion between them, the impending retirement of two Acton teachers and a key office staffer will mean major changes come September at the school. Te a c h e r s N o r b e r t Axtmann and Louisa Filson are retiring from the classroom and Angie Kukkonen, who handles attendance/reception/front desk, is leaving the office after 30 years. Kukkonen started at Acton High in March of 1983 after taking six years of maternity leave with the Peel Board of Education. D u r i n g h e r c a r e e r, Kukkonen dealt with eight principals and staggering technological changes that saw the end of rotary phones, ditto machines and typewriters. She said one of the best parts of her job was to deal with students whose parents she dealt with when they went to the school. Kukkonen said she would miss the contact with the staff and students. "I just love teenagers ­ I think they're great ­ they have two sides where they are warm and caring and then they are teenagers ­ I've never seen a bad side to anyone. I think they are great and they have kept me young all these years," she said. Kukkonen said her retirement plans include something dealing with horticulture ­ possibly working part-time in a nursery. She plans to exercise more, and she and her husband plan to travel ­ possibly out west to visit a son. After 32 years at Acton High ­ his first and only school ­ tech design teacher Norbert Axtmann is retiring and looking for new challenges, which could include teaching on-line courses. Eligible to retire two years ago, Axtmann said he was still enjoying it and not ready to golf all day, so he stayed a little longer. "Now, it's time to move on to new pastures I think. I've taught on-line summer courses part-time for Queens University and I'm hoping to pick up some more courses during the year, but nothing has been finalized," Axtmann said, adding when the Acton job posting came up 32 years ago, he was living in Toronto and had to look at a map to find it. "I thought I'd give it a go for one year, but the kids were absolutely fabulous and so was the staff and I never wanted to leave." Asked for career highlights, Axtmann said shepherding students through the Skills Olympics has been fulfilling. Under his guidance, tech students have succeeded at the regional, provincial, national and international level ­ bringing prestige to the school, along with an expensive CAD (computer aided design) lab. Axtmann said he won't miss the winter drives from Brampton to Acton, but will miss the school, staff and students. "This was more, much more than just a school ­ it really became a home." After 30 years at Acton High, teacher Louise Filson, is also retiring after a career that ranged from teaching students in seven schools and three school boards, ranging from elementary to adult education. Filson began her career in Toronto and then came to Halton, teaching at General Wolfe, Georgetown and Acton and enjoying leadership opportunities such as Head of Special Education. She said she felt "blessed" to complete her career where she began, with the challenging and rewarding area of Special Education. Graduation - exciting, rewarding time! Knowledge then is the indispensable condition of expansion of the mind, and the instrument of attaining to it; this cannot be denied, it is ever to be insisted on... -John Henry Cardinal Newman ( The Idea of a University) Congratulations from the staff at TD Canada Trust on your graduation! "The future belongs to those who prepare for it today" Congratulations Lots of luck in the future From Monica & Yvette & Sherry Best wishes to all Graduates From Hair Salon Knights of Columbus St. Josephs Council 252 Queen Street, Acton, Ontario L7J 1P6 T: 519 853 5046 F: 519 853 5069 SILVERCREEK SPA Acton Mews Plaza, 56D Mill St. East, Acton & 519-853-0811