Andrew Kozley and Dirks Lochtie, students at Rudolph Hennig Junior High, craft stools in a construction classroom at Fort Saskatchewan High during one of the school’s Worker Bee Wednesdays.
Sherwood Park, AB. — Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) junior high students are busy bees as they explore Career and Technology Studies (CTS) options at Fort Saskatchewan High during the school’s event called Worker Bee Wednesdays.
Held every early dismissal, Worker Bee Wednesdays invite grades 8 and 9 students from Rudolph Hennig Junior High and SouthPointe School to visit Fort Saskatchewan High so they can try out various CTS options before they attend senior high. “It’s a really cool experience,” says Liam St. Thomas, a Grade 9 student at Rudolph Hennig Junior High. “Seeing how big Fort High is and the technology they have—it’s a neat way to become familiar with the school.”
On a Worker Bee Wednesday, students are given a choice of four different options—construction, communication technology, commercial foods and cosmetology. Students then pick two out of the four, participating in a half-hour activity for each. Every activity involves a hands-on learning element to demonstrate what the option offers, showcase the school’s specialized CTS facilities and allow students to take a memento home.
Worker Bee Wednesdays encourage students to make informed decisions about their future course choices. “There’s an excitement that builds and builds on the bus ride back,” says Richard Curbelo, a school counsellor at Rudolph Hennig Junior High. “Students buzz about all the equipment they used, the rooms they just saw and the teachers they met—they return to junior high knowing better what they want to do in high school.”
The event also shows students potential career paths. “Students discover career possibilities they may not have thought about before,” says Curtis Starko, the principal at Fort Saskatchewan High. “Many of them come out of the experience knowing better where their passions lie, and some even determine what they want to pursue after high school.”
More than 14 junior high classes have attended a Worker Bee Wednesday. Fort Saskatchewan High is less than two classes away from giving every Grade 8 and 9 student at the two junior high schools a taste of its CTS options.
“After Worker Bee Wednesday, I definitely know I’m taking communication technology and lots of other courses,” says St. Thomas. “I like to make things, so I know I’ll be using what I learn from these CTS options later down the road.”
Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,460 students in 43 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, and the western portion of the County of Minburn.
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For more information contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902