Connections Spring 2020

Spring 2020 Vol. 13 Issue 2

A HAMILTON DISTRICT CHRISTIAN HIGH PUBLICATION

Stewardship & Innovation Care for our students, our building and the environment.

Christian Youth Leadership

International Opportunities

www.hdch.org | 905.648.6655 |

@HDCH_info

Life Skills Pathway HDCH:info

Chaos & Holiness whyHDCH

contents

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PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA

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22 Spring 2020 | Vol. 13 Issue 2

Features 4 Stewardship & Innovation 8 Knight’s Writers 10 Online Book Club 14 Retrieval Practice 18 ON THE COVER: Co Operative Education Our community gives us direction for the future School club brings together writers Connecting book lovers

Welcome to a new issue of Connections.

Brain research & professional development Valuable learning experiences for students PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA

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Life Skills Pathway

Accessible education for all our families

Editorial Team Adrianne Sprogis, Cheryl Webb Send all address changes to: info@hdch.org Advertising is invited. Please contact: asprogis@hdch.org Letters to the Editors Questions, comments and story ideas are welcome. Please email the editorial team at info@hdch.org.

Connections is a semi-annual publication of Hamilton District Christian High.

All contents © Copyright 2020.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission.

Circulation 4000

hdch.org

It’s hard to capture in two-dimensional photographs and text the living, breathing community that is HDCH, but I hope you will at least gain a small taste of the energy and spirit, and indeed the Spirit, that is in this place.

Our aim at HDCH is to know and love our students and, walking with them, to help them find their gifts and calling in the Lord. Each student is unique and, as such, has unique contributions to make in and beyond our community. As you look through and read the stories in this edition of Connections, I hope you will see evidence of how our students’ character is being cultivated through their learning for lives of service to God. Thank you for your participation in God’s work at HDCH, whether through your prayers, your giving,or your connections with students, parents, and staff.

May you be encouraged by what you see in these pages.

Duncan Todd, Principal

#whyHDCH

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Omine Ijevu ‘20

I once heard a quote that said, “Fear is the result of a lack of confidence”. In a nutshell, that was how I felt walking into HDCH for the first time in grade nine. I wasn’t confident that I would be loved and feel accepted in a new place.

At the time I had recently moved from a different country and for so many reasons I was afraid of the High School life.

Although it took me a while, HDCH made me realize that my fear was unnecessary. HDCH is truly a community like I’ve never seen; the people are so genuine with care and love. The minute I realized how good the community made me feel, I wanted to join the HDCH community and help other people who walk through the doors feel the same way.

Luckily for me, HD is filled with an amazing spectrum of opportunities which helped me engage and make new friends.

The first extracurricular club I joined was Yearbook. I have literally grown up so much since my first yearbook meeting in grade 9. Yearbook gave me a safe space to be artsy, eat snacks, and have therapy sessions with my best friends.

In grade 10, I joined the Student Council. Being a part of Stu-Co has honestly changed my life. I’ve always enjoyed organizing and planning but this was a forum for me to make friends, plan events, eat chocolate, and have awesome high school experiences. As soon as I was able to, I joined the Student Ambassador Team (SAT) in grade 11, which to date is one of my favourite things to do. SAT gave me a platform to go to grade schools to visit, engage, and meet new people from events like Grandparents’ Day, Grade 8 Day, and pastor brunches.

Now in grade 12, while I reflect and how far I’ve come, I wouldn’t be the same person without the amazing things I have learned from HD, the unforgettable memories especially in Chemistry, and the remarkable people.

I have been blessed to go to a school filled with teachers who support me, friends that love me, and a community that loves Christ just like me.

These four years at HD have helped develop my character through reflection, resilience, compassion, competence, and creativity. The Habits of an HDCH graduate will be with me even as I start a new journey in my life.

Science whyhdch We had some very special visitors today.

PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA

Spring 2020

hdch.org HDCH LEADERSHIP TEAM

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Stewardship & Innovation

where to go now?

By Duncan Todd, Principal

We are enormously blessed by the deep care and engagement of our community through the feasibility study and frank conversations surrounding it. The voice and values of our community give us direction and impetus for our future.

These are exciting times for HDCH students, staff and families, and for Christian education in our wider region.

As HDCH has engaged in planning for our building and our campus over recent years, several options have been considered. Most recently, we were looking at the feasibility of a new high school building on our campus, a topic we delved into in the Spring 2019 issue of Connections.

As part of the project planning, we engaged a third party to conduct fundraising feasibility study. Through this study, it became clear that while our support community has much care for and investment in our school, the community did not overwhelmingly support the new building project.

themes from the study

HDCH is founded on the imperative to provide Christ-centred education to our children, and we keep this at the heart of everything we do. There is a strong desire to have room for everyone who wants a Christian education, and that it remains affordable. To achieve these goals, our community provides consistent financial support.

Care for students is a key value at HDCH, and it is also a great asset.

Our community loves our staff and appreciates their relationships with students. As well, there is a wide appreciation for innovative learning at HDCH that responds to multiple learning styles, skills and attributes.

Our community values the innovative ways we equip students for fruitful lives of service to God, both during their high school years and for the future.

Spring 2020

care for our building

We have a good, well-built facility that our community cares deeply about, and wants to take care of. Our community wishes to keep our current facility up to date and also to transform and innovate its learning spaces.

Maintenance and Upgrades After thirty years, the building has some significant, overdue maintenance needs. The Board has approved replacing a large section of the roof and, together with it, some of our roof-top HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) units. To make our building more accessible to those living with physical challenges, our front entrance must be transformed to include automatic doors, and we must install an accessible elevator.

care and innovation

In preparation for our new September 2020 Life Skills Pathways initiative, we will refurnish and refurbish one of our classrooms. This Pathway will serve students in our community with cognitive challenges and who have specialized needs in terms of curriculum, space and furnishings that aid their learning. We look forward to welcoming students to a place where they can enjoy learning in safety and comfort.

flexible spaces

Staff are leading a pilot project where we will trial flexible learning spaces in our building for September. We are exploring removing a wall between two upper-level classrooms, replacing it with a movable divider would provide a suitably flexible space for these innovative learning experiences. We are discussing what subject area, age group and teaching approach best suits this pilot.

Bridge Bible

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long-term vision

Eventually, we must connect to the city sewer. Doing so will be a more stewardly approach to managing waste (versus the almost daily visits by the sewage pump truck), and, upon completion, it will lift a holding on the property which currently prevents us from making any expansion or renovations.

In the next few years, we are likely to be seeking an addition to our current facility: one that provides the supplementary classrooms and adaptable learning spaces that will support Christ-centred education and innovative learning approaches.

We will need to prepare thoughtfully for the projected increase in students seeking an HDCH (or comparable Christian education). Together with Edvance Christian Schools Association, Christian grade schools and high schools in our region, we are discussing ways to work together to expand access to Christian education in our vast service area.

These are exciting times for HDCH students, staff and families, and for Christian education in our wider region. We need the same bold faith of those who founded and grew our Christian schools, as we recommit to our building and continue to cultivate character through learning for a life of service to God. We are so grateful for your love and support of God’s work at HDCH! Connect with us If you would like to learn more or engage in any way with specific projects, please connect with me (dtodd@hdch.org) or our Director of Recruitment and Advancement, Sandra Baker (sbaker@hdch.org).

Alternatively, feel free to call us at 905-648-6655.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.

Lamentations 3:22

Students encouraging students

The Bridge Bible Study group came together and wrote enough sticky notes to stick on every student’s locker. Written on the sticky notes were encouraging Bible verses and positive notes.

These sticky notes reminded every student that they were loved, supported, and cared for by God and by the student body. The extra messages were stuck on the teacher’s workroom doors as well so that everyone in the entire school was included.

These students worked behind the scenes to make everyone’s day just a little brighter.

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In my wrest ling and in my doubts In my failures You won’t walk out

#whyHDCH

Bridge Day Fieldwork

World Religion

Christians In Society

Indigenous Blanket Exercise

Christians in Society and World Religion classes joined to participate in a Blanket Exercise performed by an Indigenous minister who shared her personal experience in relation to being an Indigenous Canadian as well as her faith journey that led her to Jesus Christ.

Standing on blankets that represented North America we were able to gain a wealth of knowledge about our relationship, treaties and the different effects that we now face as Canadians.

We learned about the initial influence of European arrival to this region, colonization and the misrepresentation of ‘sharing’ in regard to treaties.

In a circle at the end, students shared what they learned which covered a wide range of information over the century right up to the present day with the information presented throughout the morning. It was an effective way to share in this experience together as the learning, understanding, and growth was evident in the process.

Biology Out of Our Minds Grad students from the Neuroscience Program at McMaster University shared their time and expertise with the grade 12 biology class. In addition to telling us about their varied and fascinating areas of research, they facilitated four mini-workshops and a sheep brain dissection with the students.

For some, the highlight of the afternoon was wearing a band across their forehead and seeing their brainwaves on an app on a phone. For others, a highlight was hooking their arm up to electrodes and then making a claw function by contracting their muscles. The brain dissection was a learning experience for all as they cut through the corpus callosum to bisect the brain and reveal its inner structures.

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Phys Ed | ESL Treetop Trekking The grade 10 girls Phys Ed and 2 ESL classes ventured out to Treetop Trekking in Binbrook. It was wet and rainy but that didn’t stop these students from the high ropes and ziplines.

They conquered fears and doubts and learned how to maneuver through the different courses. The trip has been a highlight of the semester.

Shakespeare in Action Grade 9 English classes were visited by the Shakespeare in Action Theatre Company. The company, based out of Toronto, visited the school to present a workshop in line with the class study of Romeo & Juliet.

The workshop was led by a professional stage actor and incorporated a series of acting, voice and text exercises in the 75-minute program. What a great way to bring Shakespeare to life at HD!

English

Geography Brantford City Planning Two of our Grade 9 geography classes set out to learn more about the city of Brantford as students prepare for the “Brantford Challenge.”

Our students were tasked by Brantford city planners to re-imagine one of three vacant lots in Brantford in order to create a more livable community. Students have been studying concepts around sustainability, stakeholders, urban sprawl, and transportation as they prepare to create their proposals.

Our tour included the Mohawk Chapel of the Mohawks, the Colborne Street downtown corridor, the Brantford Cenotaph, the Bell Memorial monument, and Victoria Square with the statue of Joseph Brant in the middle.

“I noticed a homeless man and thought of affordable housing.”

“I noticed the wide streets in Brantford designed for cars rather than people.”

“I wondered why sometimes we try to ruin old buildings

and sometimes we try to save them.”

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hdch.org PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA

Knights' Writers

By Ruth Ann Bos ‘21

TWO WEEDS CAN CHOKE MANY WRITERS: LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND MOTIVATION.

Clubs

Unlike team sports where commitment and training are mandatory for the team’s success, writers must discipline themselves to practice their skills. That’s why writers benefit from a community where they learn from each other, motivate each other, persevere together, and sharpen their skills.

The Knights’ Writers’ Society has sprouted in the garden of school clubs. Writers meet over the lunch hour on Wednesdays to talk about their recent or current projects and sometimes leave with a new writing assignment to get their creative juices flowing. Members post what they’re working on the shared Google Drive to get feedback from other members. Opportunities are posted on the Edsby group to encourage writers to expose their writing to a wider audience. Members can submit pieces to a variety of contests and an online teen devotional called “Unlocked”.

However, the most important aspect is that a group of people who share the same passion for writing can meet and encourage each other. It is essential to have a safe community where each writer can share their work without fear.

Members can attest to this. Club member Sapphyre Smith reflected, “...having a writing club at school has been so much fun. It offers a safe place to share the joys and frustrations of the process that otherwise rarely see the light of day. It also serves as a welcome reminder that other writers actually exist and can provide helpful criticism as well as encouragement. Simply being able to talk about the experience with another person is special, and I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to do that in the Knights’ Writers’ Society.”

Vanessa Koens added, “My favorite part of the club is that I can hang around with people who share certain passions and opinions as I do over writing and reading.” The Knights’ Writers’ Society is evidently helping writers thrive.

The writing club’s seed was planted at a lunch hour book club meeting. When asked how many people enjoyed writing, a surprising number raised their hands. People were shocked as they thought: There are more writers? Abby Ciona, a grade eleven student and a passionate writer, had already thought of starting a writing club, so Mrs. Alkema approached her to discuss ideas.

They later invited me to help start it up and I leapt on board. We brainstormed ideas for what the writing club could look like, and then we began it for real.

The first meeting kicked off with around fifteen people. At the following meetings, the dedicated members chatted about projects that they were creating and worked on writing prompts such as “I’ve Never Known the Reason Why.” Overall, the Knights’ Writers’ Society is a great way for writers to gather together and improve their skills. It is a stepping stone for writers to continue to flourish.

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How I’d Like to Be Remembered

By Sandra Baker Director of Recruitment & Advancement HDCH has been so blessed over the years to receive generous estate gifts. Sad as we are to witness the passing of great friends and community members, their forethought is remarkable. They took the time to write a will, and to include a bequest to an organization that means a great deal to them. We will always remember their altruistic approach to their final gift of support.

Some of our legacy donors have left gifts that support the school’s operations, and tuition assistance, while others have elected to set up scholarship funds. There are so many ways to be remembered!

Along with a gift through your will, there are a number of interesting ways to give. These may also offer you and your family financial advantages, such as: • • • • •

Stock, bonds and mutual funds, Life insurance (there are 4 ways!), Annuities, RRIFs (Registered Retirement Income Fund), RSPs (Retirement Savings Plan)

Intrigued?

We’d love to chat with you about the ways a planned gift can maximize tax and other advantages and provide sustaining support for the school. You can reach me at sbaker@hdch.org.

P.S. We’d love to hear from you if you have already made a planned gift through a bequest to HDCH. Please, let us thank you! We would love to hear how you’d like your HDCH legacy to unfold.

The joy of the Lord is my S trength!

Social Justice Orange T-Shirt Day Following an introductory presentation in the Christians in Society class, a group of students felt moved to select this focus for their project-based learning social justice project. Orange T-Shirt Day is a national day chosen to remember those who attended residential schools and for those who also lost their lives in this system in Canada.

Students focused their time and energy in the early weeks of school to provide our HD school community with a day to remember these individuals. They published educational posters focusing on different Six Nation indigenous neighbours who spent part of their childhood in a residential school and added QR codes to provide the entire story for students to read.

The students silk-screened shirts for their team to be worn at our school assembly and on Orange Shirt Day. At the outdoor fall assembly, these students shared the meaning of Orange Shirt Day which stems from the experience Phyllis Webstad had entering a residential school in BC. This day focuses on how “Every Child Matters” and that the political decisions our country makes for individuals should be focused on building community versus tearing it apart.

This team baked mini-cupcakes for the entire school and handed out information cards about the day to bring awareness to this social justice issue. Thanks to Ruth Ann, Leah, Julie, and Leah drawing attention to this issue and providing an opportunity to share what you have learned with the entire school.

Clubs

By Nathan St. John ‘19

R

eturning students may have noticed something

new about HD this year; something about the

Edsby page that wasn’t there before.

It’s online book club.

Edsby online book club is, more or less, an online version of book club except it isn’t restricted to any one book at one time nor is it restricted to any one genre or type of book.

Online book club is open to everyone already on Edsby and you can post about anything relating to books on it.

You might post about a book you are currently reading, book-related jokes and stories, favourites, or questions about books you’re considering reading. I like to post questions about the titles or kinds of books people like, favourite books, or types of characters/places/scenes. The only rules in online book club are to be respectful and avoid the use of inappropriate language or content.

Online Book Club

The idea started last year, on the library page when Ms. Scott posted “what are you reading?” on World Book Day. Someone responded by posting the name of the book they were currently reading, and then another person did the same, followed by another, and another. I also may have contributed a few times!! This was the only Edsby page that was used into summer; there were still new posts in the middle of August, and all in one stream!

I love books and talking about them; it’s why I joined book club! That Edsby book club stream made me realize that there are a lot of big readers at HD. It’s that which got me thinking about the possibility of having an online book club on Edsby. Obviously there is a demand for it!

I pitched this idea to Ms. Scott, our school librarian and head of book club, who supported me and helped me to present it to administration.

Anyways, I have noticed a few interesting things on the online book club page. For instance, people tend to use it less during busy times, such as mid-terms, final terms, exam time and the Christmas season. No surprise there!

I have also found that everyone tends to respond to questions more when you answer your own question, and they tend to share what they’re reading when other people are sharing. So far, online book club has been a positive addition to the Edsby groups!

chaos & holiness

By Leah Siebenga ‘20

chaos & holiness, downtown around, there is beauty, elegance and there is also ugliness

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everywhere there are catastrophic events

but we have to understand the loveliness and purity of the ugly, just like there is holiness found in the chaos. you just have to search and examine for the worth and values in the chaos, because the fragility and delicacy of holiness can be far more frightening than the recklessness of chaos. there are far too many small rebellious acts that we seem to take joy in, but we do not understand that the unpleasant outcome of peace and perfection is evident through the people we see, the activities we hear about, and the events we discover. once chaos is seen, we step away and do not take the time to explore the holiness found within.

Joy unspeakable Fait h unsinkable Love unst oppable Anyt hing is possi ble!

Come out and cheer on your Knights! A win today will secure their place in the Quarters.

Go Knights!

Congratulations to the “Dunkaroos,� champions of our Alumni 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. It was a great event on with great play all around.

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Volleyball

Construction

SOSSA Our Senior Girls Volleyball team competed as we hosted SOSSA. They lost in a hard-fought semifinal game. Our Junior Girls Volleyball team played in their SOSSA tournament and lost a close game in the finals.

Designing & Building Home Renovation students used their technical knowledge to design and build a deck in downtown Hamilton.

Students got hands-on experience using a variety of materials, tools and processes over this 4.5 day off-site project.

PhysEd

This was a rewarding experience for those pursuing a career in the skilled trades, and also for those who wish to become homeowners.

Venture Skills on Ice The Grade 11 PhysEd class enjoyed a day of ice skating at the Chedoke Twin Pad Arena. Student leaders helped to sharpen our skills in skating forward, stopping and skating backward. The day ended with a fun game of soccer on ice!

Students Visit Fennema Farms The Grade 10 Venture class spent an afternoon learning about the business side of farming, the contributions to science and technology, and some of the career pathways that connect to a modern dairy business.

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Vocals

Mozart @Mirvish

Thirty students from HDCH saw a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto. This performance was staged by Opera Atelier, one of the world’s leading presenters of historically-informed opera. For most of the students, this was their first exposure to live opera. The evening was a fun, eye-opening, and memorable trip.

French Twisters

Integrated Arts

Health & Wellness

The combined classes of English Language Learners and Grade 9 French students took turns leading a number of communication activities including icebreakers, tongue twisters, charades, and French number activities.

Students had the opportunity to mould, fire, and glaze handmade pottery. They learned a lot of techniques, particularly the need to saturate the clay with glaze in order to get a bright finish. The goal was to create a bowl that represented an animal.

We welcomed schools from across our region as we host the Christian High School Health & Wellness Day. This is a day for both high school staff and students who are passionate about supporting health and wellness in their school.

International Business Business Fundamentals The Grade 12 International Business class has been working alongside EduDeo this semester, learning about business fundamentals in the majority world from a not-forprofit perspective. The students were challenged to think about the “Why?” of their projects, and keep that at the centre. Students worked on a variety of projects that compliment EduDeo’s current and ongoing work.

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By Sara Whetstone Vice Principal & Teacher

& PD

Have you ever tried to memorize a licence plate so that you could track down a driver? If you say it to yourself over and over, you may be able to remember it for a few minutes, an hour, even an afternoon. What happens if you try to recall it the next day? Or next week? No matter how well you thought you knew it, the information is often gone. Disappeared from your memory. Why is that?

This past fall I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Boston focused on brain research and its impact on learning. It was a fascinating dive into many learning concepts and techniques that are based on the way the brain learns by encountering, storing, and retrieving information.

Professional Development

Taking part in professional development opportunities like this is so valuable to hone practices in the classroom.

I can learn something new that not only improves my own teaching but also benefits my colleagues through shared practice. This conference was no exception. I had many discussions with other educators about how to best prepare students for recalling their learning, and the number one technique that came up again and again is the strategy of retrieval practice. This brain strategy now impacts how I design, plan, and implement my lesson plans.

PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA

Retrieval Practice

Encourage one another and build each other up.

Forgetting the Curve Way back in 1885, a German psychologist, Hermann Ebbinghaus, developed the idea of the Forgetting Curve. Through research, he discovered that the brain will lose stored information over time if the individual makes no attempt to retain it. He also discovered that the more times the information is retrieved, the more the brain will remember and the deeper the learning will stick.

Take a look at the chart below. Ebbinghaus observed that when a concept is first learned, nearly 80% of it will be forgotten if it is not reinforced. After repeating or reinforcing the concept once, the brain will remember 15% more information. But if the individual reviews the information four times, nearly 80% will be retained. What does this tell us as educators about good learning practices?

Spring 2020

Study Techniques & Retrieval

In polling students, researchers have found that there are some common study practices. The top four strategies for studying information are re-reading notes, highlighting notes, re-writing notes, and flashcards. Which method best helps the brain to recall information and retain it? How should we be encouraging our students to learn concepts more deeply? By retrieval practice, of course!

Retrieval practice is the art of recalling information without having it in front of you. It requires the brain to retrieve the information or concept from it’s “storage room.” The more often the brain does this job, the more that pathway through the brain will be strengthened, and the more concretely it will remember the information. Like a muscle, the brain grows and strengthens with repeated use.

Let’s take a look at the four common studying strategies again.

The first three methods resend familiar concepts that are stored in the memory bank, but they don’t require the brain to work very hard. The don’t actually test the brain by forcing it to dig out the concepts on its own.

The last option, flashcards, if used properly (ie: no cheating!) make the brain work to recall the information, thereby strengthening the retrieval pathway. Even better, multiple attempts to retrieve the information only serve to reinforce the pathway.

Looking back at Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve, we can see that after using spaced out retrieval practice four times, the brain will recall nearly 80% of the information even a month or more later.

Amazing!

Best Learning Practices

So, what does this knowledge mean for teaching practice in the classroom? I can see the concept of retrieval practice impacting my classroom in several ways.

For one, I need to create time and space for regular recall within my lessons. This can be as simple as turning to a partner and trying to remember all the comma rules that we just went over

T. 905.632.6192

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3385 Harvester Rd. Suite 120, Burlington, ON L7N 3N2

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in class or taking out a blank paper and writing down as many parts of the cell as you can recall from yesterday’s lesson.

Specific, targeted retrieval helps the brain to deepen its pathway of learning.

Furthermore, I can suggest to my students better ways to study that lead to better recall and overall deeper retention. As an educator, learning new things about the way people learn inspires me to improve my practice. As a leader, I am also called to share this knowledge with my colleagues so that we can together grow student learning.

Our Deep Hope for Learning

In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare calls memory the “warden of the brain.” Sometimes it really does feel as if a jailer is guarding the way to our recall, and we would love to get our hands on the key.

Better classroom emphasis on retrieval practice is one way to pass a key on to our students, unlocking a doorway to deeper lifelong learning. Professional development opportunities like the Learning and the Brain Conference are inspiring ways to reinvigorate learning practice and reinforce my own love of learning so that I can, in turn, inspire my students.

It is my deep hope to send our graduates off into their future with the tools they need to be effective, active learners in the workplace, in post-secondary education, and in all areas of servanthood that God calls them to be. Learn deeply, love deeply, be a faithful presence.

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Fun Festival

Business Business Students raised funds for CafĂŠ 541 patrons

The grade 11 Business class held an HDCH Fun Fest for the whole school. The goal of the fair was to raise funds for CafĂŠ 541. Students planned, marketed, and led a variety of events which resulted in good fun for all who participated. Events included Mario Kart and ping pong tournaments, mini-golf, ring toss, giant Jenga, and more. Over eleven events were held and a total of $263.00 was raised to help the clientele of CafĂŠ 541.

Spring 2020

French Excursion

By Nathan St. John ‘19

La belle province Grade 11 and 12 French students had the opportunity to explore a part of Canada’s language and culture in-depth during a four-day trip to Québec City. There we visited landmarks such as Chateau Frontenac, the Plains of Abraham, and Parliament. We also visited many significant cultural and historical locations such as Montgomery Falls, and a Martello Tower.

This trip also served to kick our knowledge, understanding, and ability to use the French language into high gear, as we were tasked with everyday experiences like buying a book or ordering a meal, in French. In addition, the guides were asked to speak to us in French as much as possible.

I think that what most surprised us on this trip was the way in which the old city of Quebec was both different and similar to what we were familiar with. A lot of what we did and saw during this trip did look different and sound different, and many things definitely were different. But at the same time, it was surprising to see a lot of common ground; like enjoying the same fast food and media. I think we will all be waiting on the edge of our seats for next year’s trip to Montreal.

It was a pleasure to welcome Holocaust survivor, Mr. Max Eisen.

We are so grateful to hear his story.

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Architecture mcCallum Sather Ethan Summerhays ‘20 Ethan Summerhays has been thinking about his future career goals for some time. Taking Venture in grades 10 and 11, learning about future career opportunities and a job shadow opportunity led to a co-op opportunity at mcCallum Sather that helped confirm his post-secondary plans.

“There is a lot of learning involved, and it can be very challenging at times, but I’ve enjoyed the challenges.

Co-operative Education

During my placement, I’ve learned that a good work ethic, persistence, and problem-solving skills are essential in a dynamic workplace. There were so many times where technology wouldn’t work, or multiple people would come to me with tasks that had deadlines, and it forced me to problem solve and to be persistent. The highlight for me has been learning how to use some of their design software.

I began my co-op thinking that I only wanted to be an architect. What surprised me is the array of people in a firm that works under the umbrella of architecture. Because of the flexibility of the field, I might go to school to become an architect, and after a few years in the career, I may decide that I enjoy interior designing more and can change job positions.

This coop allowed me to connect with people working in the architecture field and ask questions that I had about the job. I feel a lot more prepared going forward.

I now know what the right educational pathway is, and I’ve had a chance to see what skills I will need to work in the architectural field. I can work on developing these skills over the next few years.

“Introducing a junior person into the firm is an investment in retention in that the student may come back to the firm later in their career.” ~ Liam Brown mcCallum Sather

My co-op has been an incredibly valuable learning experience, and I would recommend that every grade 12 student try it. Not only do you learn about the career that you want to go into, but you also form valuable relationships and connections with people in that field. That networking may help to get a job one day and looks great on a resume.

Most importantly, it’s never a wasted experience, because even if you find out that you don’t enjoy the co-op and it’s not the right career for you, it’s better to know sooner rather than later.”

PHOTO : HANK RINTJEMA

Spring 2020

Health Care

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Juravinski Hospital & Cancer Centre Rebekah Mantel ‘20 Hamilton Health Sciences has been supporting coop students for many years. These students supplement the contributions of their volunteers to help HHS achieve its goal of enhancing the care of patients and their families.

Rebekah Mantel already had a good idea of what she was interested in, and her co op placement at Juravinski Hospital affirmed her hopes work to at a hospital someday.

“I’ve learned so much about the inner workings of a hospital, and I like how I have a wide variety of jobs that vary each day. There are so many people doing many different roles and it’s eyeopening to see the areas I could go into in the future.

One of my favourite jobs was working in the Breast Assessment Center, as the patients and the staff were always so friendly.

I helped out with paperwork, making reminder calls, or giving patients a locker and gown.

Moving around and being and busy was great; however, that meant when I talked with or helped someone, it was only for a brief moment. While working at a hospital, I heard so many tough stories, but because I never talked to anyone for more than a short time, nothing ever settled. I loved interacting with so many people, but it was also challenging.

I’m going to go to university for Life Sciences and then we’ll see where that takes me.

I was kind of nervous before my placement, as I had no idea what to expect.

But I had a great experience. It’s an excellent way to get a feel for your future field.”

Environment

“A co operative placement is a great opportunity to allow students hands-on experience and offer them opportunities to learn new things.” ~ Leanne Parsons Coordinator, Volunteer Resources

Health Care

Apps Mill Nature Center

Hospital Elder Life Program

Ashlyn Deboer ‘20

Liam Rust ‘20

“I was surprised how comfortable I was leading large groups of students and how much I learned about the Grand River Watershed throughout my placement. I am hoping to go to the University of Waterloo for Environmental Science and eventually work on environmental research on different animal populations.”

“I like that I get to work with patients, volunteers, and staff.

Sometimes patients don’t want a visit or are upset or have a really serious medical issue. It can be challenging and eye opening to see that. I have learned how to stay out of the way when needed, how to take initiative, and more about how the patient system works. I was surprised at how much independence and responsibility I get. I love it!”

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Youth Leadership

“OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE LEADERSHIP GIFTS OF OUR STUDENTS SO THEY CAN SERVE BOTH IN AND BEYOND HDCH.�

By Sara Whetstone, Teacher & Drama Director

By Owen Webb, Dean of Students

What does it mean to be a Christian leader?

This fall, forty HDCH students participated in our first Student Leadership Day. Students were encouraged to consider: What makes a leader? Who am I as a leader?

Students started the day reflecting on people in their own lives who have led them, and the attributes and characteristics of these people.

The students considered the HDCH Mission Statement, Cultivating Character Through Learning for a Life of Service to God, and brainstormed attributes of people who exhibit character, encourage learning, model service, and promote belonging.

Chris Wignall from Catalyst Foundation led the students through an exercise to assess the culture at HDCH. Students evaluated how HDCH is viewed by themselves, by the school community, and by our greater community.

After, students heard from a leadership panel consisting of Dr. Bob Graham, President of Redeemer University, our principal, Duncan Todd, and our vice-principal Sara Whetstone. Our panel described themselves as leaders, spoke to how they can feel inadequate as leaders, and explained how Christ is integral to how they lead--naming that only through God are they able to lead through their inadequacies.

Our day concluded by having students make a leadership commitment. These commitments varied from intentionally investing in peers at school, committing to leading in churches, finding a leader in their life, and thanking them for their positive influence, or looking at how leadership can influence a team or club at school.

Those participating appreciated the opportunity to see leadership in themselves, to dialogue with peers, and to recognize where they can have a positive impact on others.

Y ou are per fect just t he way you are!

the task Students were asked to consider how they intentionally lead at HDCH each day to positively influence the school culture in order to continue to pursue our Mission.

Spring 2020

Catching up with

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Alumni

Jessica Heidbuurt ‘15

By Adrianne Sprogis, Director of Marketing & Communications Jessica Heibuurt ‘15 returned recently to speak to a class of grade 12 Kinesiology students about how her experience at HD helped her navigate life after high school.

She also shared the challenges of program selection and how to succeed at the post-secondary level. Jessica’s willingness to openly share the highs and lows of life after high school was meaningful for the students, many of whom will face similar challenges as they prepare for post-secondary education.

“I found it a little weird speaking to the class because I felt like I was sitting in one of those desks at high school, not long ago. After chatting about my experience and life path with the students, I realized that after five short years of being out of high school, a lot could change. You learn a lot and grow a lot as a person.”

The uncertainty of her ability to succeed in both school and sport at a new school led her to make the tough decision to let go of the sport she loved.

When Jessica attended HDCH, her teachers influenced her in different ways.

With new confidence, “I faced my fear of failure and tried both being a student and an athlete. It was the best decision I have ever made for myself. I achieved better grades while playing sports, as it helped keep me away from distractions. I had a fantastic coach at Mohawk who taught me about what it is like to be a real teammate in sport and life. I also had amazing teammates that were so supportive of me. I achieved honours as a student in both those years and won five major awards as an athlete in the OCAA. After graduating, I was excited for a new chapter in my life and very sad to leave behind the relationships that I had formed.”

“I would say that the most significant was Mr. Blyleven. I appreciated how passionate he was about what he was doing. As the Girls Volleyball coach, he was kind and encouraging and knew how to push each of us individually and as a team. While preparing for OFSAA, I learned about teamwork, hard work, patience, resiliency, but most of all, I learned about God’s love and grace. Mr. B. truly helped me grow into the person I am today. “ After HD, Jessica graduated from the Recreation Therapy program at Mohawk College. Attending Mohawk allowed her to be close to home with a shot at playing Varsity Volleyball for the Mountaineers.

Jessica returned to Mohawk for a second program: Health, Wellness, and Fitness and made the Varsity Women’s Volleyball team.

She finds it very rewarding to help people and is excited to progress her career through management, or by going back to school to continue her education and notes, “anything is a possibility!”

Jessica’s advice to graduating students is not to worry too much about the future.

“Everyone has a plan, but your path may look different. Trust that God will lead you in the right direction in your life. Enjoy every moment of it! High school goes fast, and post-secondary school goes quickly too. Be grateful for all the experiences, the good and the bad!”

Jessica currently works as a Recreation Therapist at a retirement home in Burlington, as well as a physiotherapy assistant at a clinic in Ancaster.

“High school is one of the most important times in a person’s life. It is when we find ourselves, when we develop relationships, and when we learn the most about who we are as children of God. HDCH was one of the best things that could have happened to me as a person. I grew confident, but most importantly, I grew as a Christian.” ~ Jessica

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hdch.org

International Opportunities

picture this ...

You’re a grade 11 student at HDCH. You’ve been reading “When Helping Hurts” (by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett) and discussing it with students from other Christian schools in Ontario, you’ve been learning some useful Spanish phrases, and studying a bit of the history and culture of Nicaragua. You step outside the airport in Managua in early April, and are struck immediately by the warm tropical air and the pulsing sounds of this vibrant city as you and the other students load your bags into the EduDeo van, which will take you to the Nehemiah Center, your home base for the next six weeks. You’re excited about getting to know your team members from other Ontario Christian Schools (London, Toronto, Smithville, Quinte) better, and about meeting the students and staff in the Nicaraguan Christian schools that you’re going to be working with in the coming weeks. You’re also looking forward to visiting local churches, doing some outreach activities with them, and, of course, some recreational time seeing the local sites, looking over the rim of a volcano at the seething lava way below, relaxing a bit on the beach or cruising amongst the islands of Lake Nicaragua!

For some years, groups from HDCH have organized short-term mission service trips to other countries: Haiti and Uganda have been recent destinations.

But we have been looking for ways to extend and deepen the partnerships that we have in order to make these interactions more meaningful both for our students and those they visit.

By Duncan Todd Principal

A world

Away

This led us to a discussion with EduDeo Ministries, a natural, like-minded partner for us, since their mission is to support Christ-centred education in developing countries.

In January this year, Richard VanEgmond and I joined EduDeo and four other Ontario Christian high school leaders on a trip to Nicaragua to visit several Christian schools in and around Managua that partner with EduDeo and that are ready to embrace our students on short and longer term visits.

We hope to have an annual March break “HANDS Trip” to Nicaragua to work with EduDeo in a local Christian school and affiliated church. Students will help with both physical projects and outreach.

Alongside that, our hope is that each year, from early April to mid May a group comprising students from HDCH, London Christian High, Toronto District Christian High, and possibly a couple of other Ontario Christian schools, will spend six weeks in Nicaragua as part of the “International Block.”

In addition to receiving two COOP credits, the students in the International Block will also complete an interdisciplinary credit, partially online, delivered by the accompanying teacher from London Christian High, and an HDCH credit largely through class time before and after the trip.

We believe this will be a transformative experience for those students who participate in the International Block. We can’t wait to hear their testimonies of what God has done in them and through them!

Spring 2020

23

CARE Life Skills Pathway

By Sandra Baker Director of Recruitment & Advancement Every day at HD, we celebrate our students’ unique gifts, abilities, and learning styles. And, we celebrate our families—grandparents and parents, siblings and cousins—who make up the fabric of our school. Everyone is a blessing.

In September of 2020, we will be launching a Life Skills Pathway to serve children in our community who, despite cognitive challenges, are seeking to become part of the HDCH learning community. Together with their families, our goal is to support the student as they transition through high school to meaningful participation in the wider world.

As we seek to give all children an exceptional education, we are called to offer this specialized programming, ensuring Christian education is accessible to all members of HDCH families.

The Life Skills Pathway will support the students’ transition to the adulthood through a combination of in school course work and in-community learning activities.

Students will be lovingly supported by a remarkable combination of teachers and learning support workers, in specialized learning spaces that provide peace and safety.

If you would like to hear more about the Life Skills Pathway, please contact me at sbaker@hdch.org.

IN-SCHOOL COURSE WORK

LITERACY

NUMERACY

PERSONAL LIFE MANAGEMENT

IN-COMMUNITY LEARNING ACTIVITIES

SOCIAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT

PUBLIC TRANSPORATION

MAKING PURCHASES

WORKPLACE EXPERIENCES

MONEY MANAGEMENT

I wait for the Lor d, my whole being waits, and in hi s word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

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Connect with us At Hamilton District Christian High we are dedicated to providing an exceptional Christian education that cultivates the character of young people for lives of service to God. Each student has unique gifts, abilities, and learning styles and we work to differentiate learning so that all individuals can succeed.

We encourage all families exploring HDCH to connect with us.

We look forward to meeting you!

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92 Glancaster Road, Ancaster, ON 905.648.6655 info@hdch.org

To learn more, visit www.hdch.org

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