THUNDER BAY – Navigating the first few weeks of high school can be a bit overwhelming for Grade 9 students.
With the new school year around the corner, Lakehead Public Schools has run a program to help ease some of those concerns.
Incoming students at Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute are in the middle of a three-week program that gives them hands-on learning experience to earn a full credit in Grade 9 Family Studies, while also allowing them to explore future career paths.
“It’s an important program for a number of reasons,” said Meghan Smelow, who is the student success lead for Lakehead Public Schools.
“It’s an opportunity for students to gain a window into high school learning and to start the school year fully prepared, while also meeting friends ahead of their first classes.
“They also gain a familiarity with the school that they are attending, so they’ll have the extra bit of confidence as they start Grade 9.”
The program, which started on Aug. 12 and concludes on Aug. 30, mainly focuses on cooking and food preparation, but also branches out into the trades.
On Tuesday morning, students learned more about carpentry at the Carpenters Union Local 1669 as they constructed garden boxes that will be used at their new school.
“This is probably the most fun I’ve had so far,” student Evan Bolduc said.
“It’s been nice to learn all these different skills, especially cooking, as I can make food for my parents.”
Roger Drcar, who is the specialized high school major lead for Lakehead Public Schools and a recruiter for the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, said it is great to see the students excited about their work as the lessons went along.
“When they first come in, they were pretty timid and quiet, but they became engaged,” Drcar said.
“They’ve developed some skills using hand tools and we’ve seen a lot of smiles today.”