ATHABASCA — Local students recently spent a day checking out various jobs and extracurricular opportunities as part of Flying High.
Described as a “dynamic student conference” Landing Trail Intermediate School (LTIS) hosted over 20 individuals and organizations Oct. 14 to provide Grades 4-6 students with a cross section of life experiences and professions from acting, to fish scale art, to helping Fish and Wildlife officers solve a “crime.”
“The conference is the dynamic product of LTIS staff, parents, caregivers and community partners,” explained associate principal Shona Hunter.
The goals are to build confidence; deliver an interesting day of varied and dynamic experiences outside of the regular classroom teaching; engage the community; and introduce students to local people in a variety of professions.
“I choose to do this program because we like to be able to be a part of things that are happening in schools,” said Gina Martel. “It's helping to build those relationships with outside parties, which is what Big River Arts Society (BRASS) is about, and education.
What the students learn in an acting class can be translated to the classroom too.
“You'll see us working on building detail and character, so that when they go back and write an essay someday, they can work those things in,” Martel said.
Pre-pandemic, the program ran for 24 years and had to be mothballed for 2020 and 2021 so, for students in Grade 6, this was their first and only Flying High event before moving to Edwin Parr Composite next year.
In Ali-bout You with New Trends Hair Salon, the students learned some self-care with hand massages, hygiene, and braids while other students chose to learn how to play soccer, street hockey, baseball, fish, hip hop and dance, yoga, or do fish scale art.
There were even games like Minute to Win It and Kung Speiler, a traditional Norwegian strategy game; some exercise with mountain biking and hiking; and art with tie-dye tiles and other projects. There were even robots.
The Town of Athabasca Fire Department, RCMP, Fish and Wildlife officers, and Green Dragon Kung Fu club were also doing demonstrations.
“This is the most important thing I could teach you today,” said Green Dragon Kung Fu Shifu Dylan Zilinski. “And yet, the easiest thing you are going to learn all day, probably even easier than how to make a fist; it's going to be how to defend yourself before it even becomes a fight.”
With Fish and Wildlife, there was an actual dead deer to investigate. In the scenario presented by officer Lukas Madsen, someone had called in hearing two shots fired and found a dead deer near their home.
The students got to use range finders, measuring tape, and a metal detector to help gather “evidence.” There were no deer shot in preparation for the day, explained officer Adam Jalbert.
“I put the word out to our area peace officers and others to watch for a roadkill deer,” he said.
The deer is then doctored to look shot but under normal circumstances if the carcass were reached in time, the meat would be given to a needy family.
“We have a list of names at the office,” said Jalbert.
There were 22 options for students to chose from, with students picking six activities they wanted to experience — their four first choices plus two alternatives if any of them were full.
“It’s a really exciting day for our students,” said Hunter.
