We’re halfway through the year. Yes!
Well, with the new semester, there are some new programs and such going on. Some of the students from the Ace-It program are back at the school, and the Atlas kids are off to start some new adventures. These two courses are offered as an alternative to sitting in the classroom, and they give you hands-on skills in a variety of areas that will help the student to gain work experience.
The Ace-It program is offered in partnership with Selkirk College and has different trades courses available, like hairdressing, cooking, electrical, carpentry, metal works and mechanics. It can be taken in either Grade 11 or 12, and goes throughout different times of the year. Mr. Veregin, a teacher at LVR, is in charge of the Ace-It program and is there to help the students who want to be involved all year. The program is such an amazing opportunity for young adults to go straight to college while you’re still in high school and then to a career right away. It allows you to get all the skills you’ll need and then a chance to work as an apprentice in different fields. By the time you finish high school most people will already be on their way to completing their first year of post-secondary level training.
The Atlas program is a whole other ball game. It is taught almost always away from the school, in the great outdoors of the Kootenays, from winter to summer. It was designed to help give kids the hands-on skills to get right into the eco-tourism and outdoor fields that are so relevant to living in beautiful British Columbia. It helps them gain knowledge in survival techniques, wilderness training, and the basic certificates for Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Tourism. They also earn some avalanche training, wilderness and remote first aid, and ground search and rescue skills. More than anything though, students get to see amazing things and great places, not to mention they get a really good workout.
This year’s program only started a few weeks ago and they’ve already been skiing and snowshoeing a few times. Mr. Marshall is the program director, and he’s the one teaching the students and going on these amazing trips with them.
Lots of other stuff is going on now as well. The AP Art Class from last semester has set up an art exhibition in the multi-purpose room, sharing their hard work for all to see. Come check out some of the very talented artists from the school.
The Rugby Bombers are also fundraising for their trip to Ireland this spring, and they are presenting the return of Dr. Steve Taubman, hypnotist and the Master of Misperception. The show will be tomorrow, and ticket information is on the school website.
The Social Justice 12 class is putting on the fifth annual Night of Local Talent! It will be at the Nelson United Church on Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. All proceeds from ticket and raffle sales will go towards helping the village of Yamandu in Sierra Leone through Free The Children. Our school has been supporting the children and youth of Yamandu for six years now, and we’ve helped to build a school and community well for them. We’ve given them medical and school supplies, and funded four microfinance loans. Tickets are $8 for students and $10 for adults, and are available through the Social Justice students or Eddy’s Music.
LVR is now officially on Facebook! You can check everything out from there by searching ‘LV Rogers Secondary School’, or go straight to the school website, lvr.sd8.bc.ca.