The Citizen, 2018-02-01, Page 7Solar powered
Both the sun and the snow were enjoyed by North Woods Elementary School students during
recess last Friday. Shown soaking up some rays from their handmade chilly cushions are, from
left: Camryn Logan, Emilly Mann and Kiley Nicholson. (Denny Scott photo)
Co-op program well received
A new generation
Blyth's Elli Cohen of The Ross Firm in Goderich, left, says
that the co-op program helps students discover new career
paths and he is happy to be a part of it. Last semester his
firm took on co-op student lan MacGregor, centre, who
worked with staff like Sarah VanDriel, right. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued from page 6
with the program, Boven has
experience with co-op students. His
brother Mike had one several years
ago, and Casey himself was a co-op
student in high school.
"I did a co-op placement with
Mike Siertsema in Grade 11 as a
bricklayer," he said. "I still talk
about my co-op days and how I
enjoyed them.
"It's kind of funny, actually,
because it's come full circle," he
said. "At the time I worked for Mike,
and now, he works for me, doing
foundations."
Boven said he is glad the school
has provided opportunities for
students to participate in trades
because fewer students are studying
trades.
"It's important to have people
trained in these skills that can stay in
the area," he said. "There is lots of
development in this area, and, if kids
can see that they can take up a trade
and be busy and that they are
needed, they will stay in the
community and want to raise their
families here too."
Auburn's Jacqui Empson-Laporte,
who works for the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs (OMAFRA) in Clinton,
welcomed student Matt Colquhoun
to her workplace.
Empson Laporte's involvement in
the program was spurred by her own
children looking for co-op
placements.
"I was going out to the community
to look for employers to work
together to provide opportunities,"
she said. "I thought, if I'm looking
for my children, and I have an
opportunity to help others, that's
only fair."
Through OMAFRA, Empson
Laporte said she could offer not just
the co-op program, but an
opportunity to have well-trained
summer students.
"It works well to have a co-op
student in second semester and keep
them on," she said. "That way I have
one student to work with me for
eight months."
This is the second year she has
been involved in the program,
though, as she explains, there isn't
always a student interested in being
involved with OMAFRA, so she
doesn't have a student every
semester.
Students help her prepare for
coming events like farm shows,
environmental conferences and trade
shows. Empson Laporte said
students obtain some good
experience communicating with
individuals and handling questions.
"They also work on social media,
helping me prepare the analytics for
it," she said, saying it's a new
experience for students who usually
only handle social media for
personal use. "We look at the risks
of using social media, the goals from
a corporate perspective and how it
can help us communicate."
Student responsibilities also
include helping with environmental
farm plans and learning about
agriculture best management
practices and Lake Huron water
quality projects.
Other co-op placement providers
included several local healthcare and
childcare centres and CHSS itself.
This year, co-op directors
implemented a new program to
recognize the businesses that have
gone the extra mile or provided
long-standing co-op placements for
the school called the Employer of
the Month Award.
The program started in October
with A&T Automotive taking the
first honours. November saw the
Sign Guys recognized, December,
Seaforth's Progressive Turf and
Anchorvale Repair was named the
Employer of the Month for January.
"We want to recognize the efforts
put forward for the school and the
program," co-op program organizer
Shane Taylor said.
The event also served as an
opportunity for the Pathways
program to be announced. The
program offers co-op opportunities
in the summer and will be available
this year. Taylor explained that, in an
area like Huron County that heavily
relies on seasonal opportunities like
tourism and agriculture, it's an
important new addition to the co-op
offerings at the school.
Anyone interested in taking part in
the program can contact Taylor at
shane.taylor@ed.amdsb.ca
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018. PAGE 7.
Weather closes trails
PEOPLE AROUND
WALTON
By Jo -Ann
McDonald
Call
887-6570
Our up-and-down weather
continues with the warm and windy
making way for the cold and windy!
Saturday and Sunday were both
great days and on Sunday there were
even a couple of motorcycle
enthusiasts out for a run!
Unfortunately, the snowmobile
enthusiasts are out of luck around
here, as the snow has disappeared
from the trails. There are still about
6-8 weeks of winter, so hopefully
snow will come (just on the trails). A
fine snow is falling on this Monday
morning and covering the ground so
that is a start!
The ladies group met on Tuesday
for their monthly birthday gathering
at JR's and had a delicious meal. The
birthday girls were Leona
Armstrong, Joan Bernard and
Sandra Cable. Sandra was unable to
attend due to illness, and we send
our get -well wishes to her. Enjoying
the outing to help celebrate with the
ladies were Nora Stephenson, Marci
Bremner, Isabel Wheeler, Merle
Cousins, Betty Campbell, Lois
McCutcheon, Betty McCutcheon,
Laura Barbour, Bev Palmer, Audrey
Cardiff, Betty Cardiff, Jane Hall,
Jean Davidson, Alice Marks, Dale
Chesher, Cora Alcock and Dona
Knight. Happy birthday to Leona
and Joan!
We send our get -well wishes, or at
least our heal -fast wishes to a couple
of folks. Michelle McNichol had a
slip that has her lower leg injured
and we hope she is walking better
soon. Taking a tumble and hitting
hard on his upper arm was Gerry
Ryan. He will be "slinged up" for
STILL
RUNNING
OUT TO
FETCH
THE
about six weeks. Happy healing to
both.
Pat Gillis is still healing from her
fall, but the time is slipping by and
hopefully she will be as good as new
in a few weeks.
We understand that Dave
Stephenson is now home and we
hope he is coming along well. Still
healing to be done, but at least he is
home and surrounded by his family
and familiar things.
Two weeks ago I spotted a bald
eagle in the area and last week it was
a white snow owl. Both beautiful
birds but not seen very often.
Celebrating birthdays this past
week were Scott Bromley, Brenda
McIntosh, Fred Uhler, Ryan Jacklin,
Sheldon Lee, Alexis Beuerman,
Chris Ryan, Mark Wilbee to finish
up January. February started off with
Thys deJong and Sarah Mitchell.
FROM WALTON
Gloves
Bainton's
Old Mill
Downtown Blyth
519-523-4740
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