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OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, October 8, 2009 · 8 Robert Bateman special guest at HLF dinner By Tim Whitnell METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Students at risk of missing meals on a regular basis, not being able to afford to take part in after-school activities or thinking of dropping out of school are among those who benefit from the existence of the Halton Learning Foundation (HLF). The foundation, the fundraising arm of the Halton District School Board, is staging its sixth annual celebration dinner on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Rd. Throughout the evening, there will be Broadway-themed musical performances by Halton students. World-renowned wildlife artist and environmentalist Robert Bateman, a former Burlington resident and high school teacher, will be the special guest attendee and say a few words. Corporate sponsorship and individual donations help fund the Halton Learning Foundation's wide variety of programs. During the 2008-09 Halton public school board year, the foundation allocated $342,630 to three student-centered programs: Eliminating Barriers ($183,000), Enrichment & Allocated Funds ($126,130) and scholarships ($33,500). Some local funding highlights in 2008-09 included: · TD Canada Trust supported the Bronte Creek program through its Friends of the Environment Fund · AAL continued its support of Kings Road Public School · Rotary Club of Burlington Central supported breakfast programs in eight elementary schools and four secondary schools in Burlington · Wal-Mart provided support for literacy programs in two Burlington schools as part of its store grand opening "To be without food and without money has such a negative impact on your spirit. We're giving them the tangibles so that the intangible spirit is there for them to continue with their education. Without this foundation, that would not be possible," said Marg Parsons, vice-principal at Aldershot H.S. Another Burlington vice-principal offered a specific example of how the foundation is helping some students stay in school. "One boy received money to buy football cleats so he could play on the football team. When we called his mother to tell her, she fought back tears of joy on the phone and then finally blurted out, 'This will make such a difference for my son, playing football keeps him in school,'" recalled Nigel Scott, vice-principal at Robert Bateman H.S. One area of the Halton public school board that receives significant foundation funding is energy conservation education and practices. "Many students at Alexander's Public School have enjoyed participating in various activities relating to the environment. They really care about making a difference." Joanne Charbonneau, teacher Halton's four hydro utilities (Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills) provided $90,000 to support the Conservation Education and Demand Management Program between 2006-09. That funding partnership has ended but the foundation is in talks with the utilities to develop another partnership, said Pat Wright, executive director of the Halton Learning Foundation. Ron Ballentine, the Halton board's co-ordinator of science and technology, and environmental education, said the three-year program sponsored by the utilities had a large impact on improving environmental education generally and energy conservation specifically throughout Halton. As proof, he noted the huge increase in certified EcoSchools at the board in the three years, from eight to 74. Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education program for Grades 1-12 that helps students develop ecological literacy and become environmentally-responsible citizens. Developed and run by school boards, Ontario EcoSchools offers an environmental perspective to the choices made in operating schools and in planning classroom programs based on the Ontario curriculum. It consists of four components: ecological literacy, waste minimization, energy conservation and school grounds greening. By June 2009, 911 schools and education sites within 31 school boards and two conservation authorities became certified EcoSchools. "Many students at Alexander's Public School have enjoyed participating in various activities relating to the environment. They really care about making a difference," said Alexander's teacher Joanne Charbonneau. The Sutton Drive school has an Evergreens Environmental Club. Grade 4 students are part of the group Lightsavers, which monitors the use of electricity in the school "We have an active Energy Management Team that works with training students and staff through small group and large group workshops," said Ballentine. "The school communities have embraced the use of Lights Off! and Monitors Off! stickers and actively track and monitor energy use within their schools," he added. Cocktails for the foundation celebration dinner begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $100 per person or $720 for a table of eight. For tickets, call 905-335-3665, ext. 3408, or e-mail rowej@hdsb.ca.