Year ending
Students head to St. FX for conference
The school year is almost over, exams are getting closer and students are just waiting for summer.
The last two months of the school year can seem to drag on forever. The seniors, though, have many things to look forward to in the coming month like prom, graduation, safe grad and brick-painting.
Yes, you read that right. Each year, grads from Memorial find a wall in the school and decorate a brick with their name on it. This June tradition has been going on since 1998. The grads paint their name on a brick then decorate it as they wish. It may not be much, but it’s kind of like a little time capsule in a way.
Other things that students are looking forward to are prom and graduation. Some students have had their dresses selected since November. Now it’s getting closer and people are getting corsages/ accessories and renting suits. Prom practices have also started; students have learned the path of the grand march and have started learning the fun dance.
While students may be wishing the time away to get to prom, graduation and safe grad, the grads are in the final days of their high school careers and will be moving on to other things in September.
Something that students were excited about this past month was the Nova Scotia Secondary School Students’ Association (NSSSA) annual provincial conference. The conference (Rise Up 2018) was held at St. FX University and lasted for four days. Ten students from Memorial attended the conference as well as 36 total students from Cape Breton.
Rise Up 2018 is an energetic leadership conference that focuses on youth potential and discovery. Students learn leadership skills through fun games and activities all while cheering and making new friends from across the province.
For every student from Memorial, it was their first provincial NSSSA conference. They say they had a great time, even though they all slept for less than four hours a night. They are glad they went.
While the NSSSA helps students build leadership skills, there’s an in-school program that helps students get the skills needed for their career. The Co-Op and O2 (Options and Opportunities) programs are designed to help students work toward a career and link learning with the workplace.
These programs give students the opportunity to explore different career paths before they graduate high school. This helps students choose a career and diminishes the chance of them ending up in a job they don’t like.
Students are assigned to work placements where they get to experience what life is like for those in their chosen field or career. They must complete 100 hours of community placements for a full-credit course, as well as 25 hours of classroom work.
There are many high school students who aren’t sure what they’d like to do after graduation. Some aren’t sure if they want to go to university, college, or straight into the workforce. Co-op and O2 gives these students the opportunity to explore their options and plan a career path.
Some upcoming events for the next month:
The prom will be on Saturday, June 9.
The graduation ceremony and safe grad will be held on June 27.
Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, will be on June 8 and Memorial will be forming a team to participate.
The last teaching day of the school year is June 29.