WEYBURN - A little initiative, a little encouragement, a little assistance, a little determination and voila, you have the makings of a popular Grade A Special Projects environment within the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.
Things like this just don’t happen, but a couple of educators/administrators who help make it happen, were in the SECPSD board room in Weyburn on September 18 to illustrate what can happen when initiative,imagination and will power meld into projects that help high school students gain additional credits. The two administrators, Nicole Blackburn from Weyburn Comprehensive School (WCS) and Sarah Purves from the Oxbow Prairie Horizons School (both vice principals) were joined by WCS senior student Calla Hrynewich, who gave the board members an example of what this program offers.
The presentation was part of the board’s first open business session in the new academic year with the members addressing Cornerstone’s System Goal #1 that states, “our students have opportunities to learn and succeed in every school.”
Keith Keating, the division’s director of education, introduced the topic by noting how the public schools in the southeast “strive to ensure every student, regardless of school, grade, diverse situation, or instructional delivery method, has every opportunity to learn and succeed.” He said that professional growth to support student learning will be enhanced through the Witsby platform, which will be implemented this academic year.
Professional development will be advanced and delivered to support student assessment. Schools will also work with the Indigenous Education Responsibility Framework, and ensure schools have “understandings of trauma informed practices.”
Keating listed the various support professionals within the division such as career development counsellors,speech language pathologists, community education liaisons, intervention teachers and instructional coaches et al.
He also reported on how SECPSD has maintained a high graduation success rate for both non-Indigenous and First Nations students compared with provincial results.
Blackburn was first up to provide a video presentation on special project opportunities that some WCS students are developing to earn credits as an alternate pathway to a successful completion of grades,starting with Grade 10 candidates.The program, she explained, allows students to work with mentors outside of the school to develop skills and abilities.
Learning targets are individualized and specific to the students, she said. The program for each student will move forward with parental consent, proper student application and superintendent approval as well as mentor agreement with regular check-ins until the project is completed.
Blackburn said students show progress in various ways such as through power points, posters, videos,journals, photographs and demonstrations.“They demonstrate an extension of their learning,” she said. This is not within a class environment. “It’s very individualized,” she added. Students choose this route for a variety of reasons and situations.“I love talking about this because it’s quite exciting,” she said, noting later that paperwork can prove to be a bit challenging, but worth the time and effort.This year WCS students had 13 projects submitted with 11 being completed, compared with five projects in the previous school year. There was an 86 per cent completion rate.
To illustrate the successful ventures students may embark on, Blackburn introduced Calla, the WCS student who has pursued credits in the challenging field of power lifting, something she said she has pursued for a few years. The Grade 12 student said the sport has helped her meet challenges such as mental health and nutrition concerns as well as managing a rigorous schedule. Her dedication has given her the opportunity to compete in world-wide competitions.
This year the competition was in Malta, where she finished fifth in her weight class and qualified for next year’s in Costa Rica. She explained her favourite lift is the squat.Calla’s flawless presentation gave board members an indication of what students can accomplish for credits without having to be within a structured school environment.
Purves was up next, talking about apprenticeship credits. This is also an area of pursuit that is generally done outside the structured school system. Purves said students must pursue the credits under the supervision of a certified journeyperson or someone with approval from the Trade Certification Commission. Students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised instructions.
“In work experiences Grade 10-12 students are sent into a multitude of industries in our community as volunteers to see first hand what a job site and job requirements can look like beyond the classroom,” she said, quoting from the video presentation. She added, “once they begin, they love it.”
There are time challenges since usually the opportunities come only in one-hour segments. But, the students are doing it.“They have to secure the job and then they come back to me,” she said. The check with parents happens then, as does the assurances from the journeyperson willing to take on the task and some assessments.Most of the assignments stay fairly local within the Oxbow and area community with such industries as Fast Trucking, SaskArc and Red Hawk being the most recent companies to join the project.
She said that not only does the student achieve academic credits but the hours they log also serve them well if they decide to pursue an apprenticeship in the selected profession.Keating said the rural counsellors play a meaningful role in assisting the projects and students as they move onward.
Purves concluded her presentation with an audio interview and conversation she had with Keegan, a senior student, who had chosen an adventure in welding as a choice for gaining additional credits within the apprenticeship program.
