R I C H M O N D G R E E N S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

June 2012 Exploring Opportunities Program

YORK REGION DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

Volume 12

Construction Update

Exploring Opportunities Program

Once again we have had tre-mendous support from our com-munity partners.

Without support would not have been able to take this group of eleven students to all of the jobsites where they gained experience in teamwork, perseverance, conflict resolu-tion, and a variety of industry standard tools.

Thank you,

R. Neale

Thank you to our great community Partners

Inside this years issue: Semester 2

Stephen Hillaby 2

Cameron McGowan 3

Corey Peterson 4

Tineil Simpson 5

Danny Trunks 6

Matt Waters 7

Ash Payravi 8

Kavan Cheng 9

Raffy Panetta 10

Jamal Nichols 11

Semester 1

Nabeel Alibhai 16

Jessica Givens 17

Will Green 18

Max Kashin 19

Spencer Kramert 20

Ash Payravi 21

Farhan Walji 22

Josh Waters 23

Jordan Wong 24

It is second semester in the 2011 – 2012 year of Richmond green, and this semester I have chosen to take the Exploring Opportunities Program in Construction (EOP). This se-mester we have built sheds, poor concrete in forms that we made, kitchen rips, and build muskoka chairs for cus-tomers and fami-ly. This program that was offered to me has probably been the best decision I have ever made in my high school career and that it also including the dual-credit course I was offered at Seneca College. This co-op program was a great experience and expanded my learning in a great way. Before I entered this program, I knew the basic principles to construc-tion from Garnet Leduc (RGSS Tech Teacher), but I have grown up watch-ing people build houses, and I have wanted to be a carpenter since I was 8. So the reason I took this course was to experience what a construction work-place feels like and understand the ba-sics on how to frame and construct a house. That was the goal for me in this course, and I believe that I have ac-complished my goal because we have gone to workplaces and delt with the

conditions, I would have still really liked to work in the rain, but some-times that just is not good for the equipment, but I did experience some

of that, when working at a cli-ents place in Sha-ron, and when oth-ers were focusing on the building of the walls I was focusing on the measurements, and labels, rules to

framing the walls of a shed then after I framed the walls when I understood the basics to framing. I am very glad I took this course because of the knowledge I have gained, and also with the certifi-cations this course has given me, for example, Fall Arrest, scaffolding, my electrical safety, and OED/CPR, First Aid. These are great certifications to have on my resume, because even

though the job site will have to train me again, they know I am capable of doing those things. To be honest, I felt like I was apart of something, a team, a

crew, and everyone was treated equally to some extent. The teachers (Mr. Neale, and Mr. Leduc) did a great job teaching us ei-ther the easy way or the hard way, the got the job done, and I appreciate the time and effort they have put into EOP to help us succeed and learn. Those two teachers are probably the teachers I will look back on in the future and say “damn, those two guys were the best teachers I have ever had”, I do hope to keep in touch too. Throughout the year, I have already recommended this course to many of my friends who are look-ing into construction, or are just interested in a co-op program, and I hope they take this course because it has been a great expe-rience.

Stephen Hillaby Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Stephen Hillaby’s Story

Page 2

Construction Update

5 Pillars of EOP Safety First Teamwork Decision Making Problem Solving Conflict Resolution

This semester in the Exploring Op-portunities Program In Construction

was very different than the other semester I had been in. This se-mester we did a lot more “form making” and concrete laying in vari-ous locations. I enjoyed the fact that we got to go to various job sites and work together as a team to ensure that the job was complet-ed properly and to our supervisor’s standards. Also, I got to take part in the Skills Canada Competition.

All I wish is that we had gotten more time to work on our muskoka

chairs, or that we had got to build a playhouse or just take another field trip to one of the locals to work on our carpentry skills, or if we went to go help out Habitat For Humanity, to build that house. We spent most of the se-mester just doing con-crete-laying and mak-ing sheds for multiple clients. The skills I learned from this se-mester I have had to

use before, and they were just forti-fied by re-doing this semester. I enjoyed the connections we made throughout the semester with Mr. Leduc and Mr. Neale, they treated us with respect, and as adults for the whole semester and got the same respect back. Along with all the different certifications I got from this semester, I got my First-Aid and CPR Training / AED Training,

WHIMIS, Electrical Safety, Fall Arrest, Habitat For Humanity training, Scaffold Training. These certifications will help me to get different jobs in the future and

help me to continue my working career. This is one of the programs that I would strongly recommend to a friend for the reason that you can build a great friend-ship with your co-workers and learn construction skills in the process. More schools should have EOP, because it’s a great class for students to work in, and in which they can harness their construction skills.

5 Pillars Of EOP

1. Safety First 2. Teamwork 3. Decision Making 4. Problem Solving 5. Conflict Resolution

My EOP Experience

Page 3

Exploring Opportunities Program

My experience in EOP was amazing and really fun. The reason why I think this is because you learn a lot of things that you would never have learned in just a normal construction class. The stuff that I really like in EOP involved

building sheds and learning how to do it properly and all the tricks you can do while building them. Another thing I liked was making the Muskoka chairs.

The reason why I liked this was be-cause it was a challenge, and I like doing very detailed work and compli-cated stuff. The way I was treated was really good; both teachers Mr. Neale

and Mr. Leduc gave as much respect as you give them, and they are both really great teachers and they know what they are talking about. What I gained from this semester was skills on how to build roofs, sheds, Muskoka chairs, and respect. I would definitely recom-mend a student to this program because it’s a great learning experience for eve-ryone. The certifications that we got involved Habitat for Humanity York Region, Emergency First Aid & CPR/

AED Level C, Fall Protection, WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Material Infor-mation System), and Scaffolding certifica-tion. In the future, all of these certifications will help me because when I go to get a refresher on them I will of already know the answers to them. I think that EOP should be in every school because it gives students the opportunity to see what the trades are about. I think that EOP would be good in schools because that kids who have trouble in cer-tain subjects may have more interest in coming to school. EOP changes everyone’s attitude, and makes everyone respect one another, to create an EOP family.

Exploring Opportunities Program ( E.O.P ) Corey Stephen Peterson

5 Pillars

Of E.O.P

S F A I F R T S E T Y

T E A M W O R K

D M E A C K I I S N I G O N

P S R O O L B V L I E N M G

C R O E N S F O L L I U C T T I O N

My experience in EOP was very inter-esting and fun. I did like this program, and it was very helpful, because you learn how to do something new every day, and it’s a great experience. The part I really found fun that we did in EOP was when we were digging holes to lay the shed. Another great time I had besides making the shed is the part when we go out to eat as a family. I was treated fairly and with respect dur-ing this whole semester of being in EOP, as I was treated like the people around cared about me. The teachers

that teach in EOP are nice and care about the decisions you make inside and outside of the classroom, no matter what the situations are. The teachers also bought us food to show that they are willing to spend some money on you, if you’re willing to work hard at all times, and do the things they do for you in return. I would love to recom-mend this program to a friend because it’s just a great opportunity and experi-ence to learn and try out new things.

This program would be a good choice for a friend also because of the chance to receive certifications for WHMIS and CPR. I’ve learnt so much through-out EOP, and eventually it will help in the future and I won’t regret taking it. The certifications I received in this program included CPR, fall arrest, scaffolds and WHMIS. These certifica-tions will help me in the future when getting a job, and even if the job doesn’t require it its still looks good to

earn these certifications, as they could help me when a hazard happens using these skills. Overall, EOP is an amazing experi-ence to get into and to learn new things.

Tineil

Tineil Simpson’s Story

Page 5

Construction Update

Yes I did like this program. I like this program because people are friendly; my peers were out-going, warm and friendly. I love the activities that were given to the group. I love the field trips because they were new experiences that I could learn from. I love working in the workshop and building Musko-ka chairs with my peers. It was fun getting to know my surroundings and figuring out my strengths. I got to make a few friends along the way. I got along with the teachers

very well. If anything, I learned bet-ter because they were so friendly towards me. They had patience for me. The teachers had a great sense of humor; it was clean, funny and smart. I also loved how they were always organized. They even took us out to restaurants and treat-ed us when they did not have to which showed me that they had respect for their students. It also shows they appreciate our hard work. Their rules were quite rea-sonable and they never raised their voice to me when I did something wrong. What I learned in this pro-gram was to be organized, more self efficient, to be humble, to care for others, work as a team player, be punctual and to have fun. What I gained from this program is my first aid certificate, my scaffold cer-tificate and my WMIS certificate. These certificates will help me in the future when I get a job in con-struction. I would recommend this program to people who have gold of heart towards working with their hands in construction. I would also recommend this to people who are looking for apprenticeships in con-

struction. It would provide them with a better view of what they would like in construction. Last but not least, I would recommend this to people who enjoy getting dirty, having fun, working with their hands, working as a team, and love to learn new experiences.

Daniel Trunks

Page 6

Construction News letter

My Experience in EOP was great, and even though I had some ups and downs, overall I had a great time. I liked how most of the time we were in the shop, and I got to work with my hands and build chairs. Sometimes we got to build anything we wanted and that was also good because I had to use my imagination on what to build. Eve-ryone in the program treated me great –

even though I did get annoyed at some people a lot - and I was treated with respect most of the time even though I did not show some respect at some times, and I do apologize for that. I gained a lot of knowledge from EOP like problem solving and team work, as well as many other essential skills. The teachers were great! Mr. Neale and Mr. Leduc taught me a lot of things that I plan on using in the future. If any of my friends want to know more about the trades and construction then I would

tell them to take EOP because it is an amaz-ing program and they would benefit from it greatly. We got different certifications some of them were our C.P.R training, Fall Pro-tection, and our WHMIS training. But those are just a few of the many certifications we got in EOP and they will be very useful to many of us since we got them. Overall, EOP Is an amazing program that I recom-mend to everyone who is looking to get into the trades; they will benefit greatly from it, as have I and many others who have taken this program. But the key thing is that EOP will always be a family, no matter what.

Sincerely: Matthew Waters

Matthew Water’s story

Page 7

EOP NEWSLETTER

5 PILLARS OF EOP

Safety First Teamwork Decision Making Problem Solving Conflict Resolution

What I enjoyed about EOP is that I gained new Opportunities and learned lots of new skills. I really enjoyed making the sheds be-cause I learned the steps that are needed to complete the assign-ment. The reason I really liked EOP is because I learned something about each trade; for example, plumbing. I gained lots experience by doing kitchen rips, sheds, teacher’s projects, and I built my own projects. I built my first Mus-koka, and we did log

sheets to track our time. I really en-joyed EOP. What I gained in EOP is new experiences

about essential skills we need for the construction trade. I am hop-ing that maybe next semester I can take EOP again because I really en-joyed it. The teachers were

amaz-ing. I would

recommend it for someone that wants

to get into a trade or likes

to work with their hands. Another thing I learned new EOP is about

different types of tools, like the planner. I felt really comfortable

using it, and another tool that I felt comfortable was with the

table saw, from EOP last Semester . We learned

about doing kitchen rips, and learned how to take

apart a kitchen. I really had fun making the

safety videos. Something else

we learned in EOP was CPR

training. I really en-

joyed EOP, and I hope to take

it again. Ashkan Payravi

Ashs Story

Page 8

Construction Update

I had a great expe-

rience during my

time in the Exploring

Opportunities Pro-

gram. I really en-

joyed my time during

because it is a work-

ing while relaxing

environment, and

compared to regular

classes it is very different. I re-

ally enjoyed my time in EOP be-

cause it was exactly what I ex-

pected it to be. It was a great

experience because you are

treated by the teachers with the

respect that you treat them with.

I gained a lot of knowledge and a

lot of experience from being in

this course. Being in EOP, we had

projects like building sheds for

customers, and I gained a lot of

knowledge and experience such as

how to nail shingles up onto roofs

of

the

sheds, building and putting to-

gether sheds, working with con-

crete, and so much more. The

teachers are experienced; you

notice that they always make

sure you are 100% safe, at all

times, and you don’t ever have to

do anything you don’t want to or

feel comfortable doing. I would

honestly recommend this program

to anyone who is interested in

experiencing work in the con-

struction field, or just

looking for something new

to try and is

willing to do a

lot of hands on

work, which includes being outside of

school and working outdoors. Being in

this course has a lot of its benefits,

such as receiving certifications for

WHMIS, Habitat for Humanity,

health and environment safety, First

Aid Safety Training, and Basics of

Fall Protection. These certifications

would be useful in the future, even if

I do not plan on going into the Con-

struction Sector. Overall, I had an

amazing experience during my time in

the Exploring Opportunities Program.

Even though before the course start-

ed, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy be-

ing in EOP or if it was for me, in the

end, I actually wouldn’t mind taking it

again.

Kavan’s Story

Page 9

Construction Update

My experience in EOP was amazing! This isn’t an ordinary course with ordinary teachers; in this course, you are treated like an adult, and I think that must be one of the things that I liked the most about this course. The fact is that the teachers treat you like equals (which is amazing), our program

consists of 12 people, and we are together 8 hours a day 5 days a week. There are times when we fight and there are times were we are laughing to-gether, but at the end of the day we all have each others' backs. Both my teachers Mr. Neale and Mr. Leduc are fantas-tic teachers; they make you not want to skip class, and the both of them have taught us many things, such as making muskoka chairs or making sheds. They drive you crazy sometimes but they mean well, and I think the funniest day that we had in our program was when the entire class tried to pull apart two buckets, in the end all I took was Mr. Neale’s big foot! During this semester we had received multiple certifications, our WHIMS training certifications, our first aid CPR training certifi-cation, our scaffolding training from Local 506, our fall arrest training from Local 27. I think

the things I learned in this course will benefit me very much in the future, seeing how they are already helping now, as in EOP they teach you how to get employed, and how to stay employed. In this course you have to follow the five pillars, which include safety first, team work, dea-cons making, problem solving and conflict resolution. I would definite-ly recommend this course to any one who like to work with their hands, and also enjoys working out-side.

Raffaele Panetta’s Story

Page 10

Construction Update

My experience in EOP was amazing! I never knew that work-ing with such an amazing teacher would be so great. I got to learn a lot of very useful skills that will benefit me in the future. I enjoyed every trip and place we had gone to including Local 506, Liuna, and Georgian College. I really enjoyed going up to build the 8x12 shed in Sharon. It was the first shed that we had built as a class, and it was also one of the largest. Another thing that I liked about being in the program was the people that I got to meet through it. I’m sure I would never have had a chance to meet my classmates if I had not taken this amazing program. The way that I was treated in EOP was a good eye-opener as to how you would be treated in the work place. The bottom line is that if you are not doing anything, and slacking off, you will get treated badly. I gained a lot from this semester.

I think one of the most im-portant things that I had gained from this semester was how to work as a team to get things done. I also gained a wealth of knowledge about construc-tion and home-building. This will help me in the future because I wish to become a construction worker or electrician.

As foot the teachers they were amazing. I could not have had bet-ter teachers even if I asked for them. Mr. Neale and Mr. Leduc shared their knowledge, skills, and humour with us every second of the day. Some of the certifications that I have gotten in this program in-clude scaffolding, fall arrest, First Aid/CPR, WHMIS, and electrical

safety.

Having these certifications will help me when I apply for my summer job at Powell Construction. I think that EOP is an important part of school because it allows you to work as a team, stay in good shape, and give you a chance to see what working in this industry is real-ly like and if it is something that you want to get into. Jamal

Jamal Nichols’ Story

Page 11

Construction Update

Onwards and Upwards

R I C H M O N D G R E E N S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L

June 2012

Inside this issue:

Nabeel’s Story 16

Jessica’s Story 17

Will’s Story 18

Max’s Story 19

Spencers’sStory 20

Chis’s Story 22

Ashkan’s Story 23

Exploring Opportunities Program

YORK REGION DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

Volume 11

Construction Update

Exploring Opportunities Program

This semester started with a new eager group of students trying to settle in to the pro-gram. Physical work started the very first week and seemed to continue until Late January.

We had a vast array of jobs this semester ranging from clean up, Habitat for Humanity Kitchen RIPS, garden creations, Team Depot renovations, and Custom-ized sheds. Needless to say our community partners excelled again this semester. After com-pleting numerous kitchen RIPS from small to large, we are most proud of our privilege to work with our local Home Depot’s “Team Depot” in renovating and refurbishing a local wom-en's shelter in the area. This was

a chance for our class to give back to and share their skills with the community. Thank you for this opportunity.

Custom sheds be-came a large portion of this semester as we created 8’ x 10’s, 8’ x 12’s, and 12’ x 16’s, all customized to fit specifics needs in the community. Being able to take these projects from paper to pouring concrete pads, fram-ing bases and walls, and con-structing custom pitch roofs and soffits were just the types of projects that allowed us to feel the satisfaction of starting and finishing a full job.

The students skill level was quite high by the end of the semester.

I am very proud of what you all accomplished this semester.

Thank you,

R. Neale

Evan’s Story 24

Farhan’s Story 25

Josh’s Story Jordan’s Story

26

27

My Experience My experience in the EOP (Exploring Opportunities Program) program was indescribable, due to the hands on ex-perience and the level of knowledge and respect gained through the class and the teachers that were involved. Their teaching technique was signifi-cantly diverse for the reason that they allowed us to do any project that we had in mind. Apart from our own pro-jects, we were eligible to gain experi-ence by building sheds and construc-tion shelves and tables for some of the teaching staff in the school.

Did I like it? I really enjoyed the program because of all the hands on experience that I gained and the information that I col-lected. This really helped me choose a career since the trades have always been of best interest to me. The part I liked/enjoyed the most was the partici-pation from the whole group that was needed to get several tasks completed on time and the material that we had to construct such as sheds, teacher’s pro-jects, etc. How was I treated? In my opinion, I feel like I was treated really well due to the fact that I acted responsibly, I cooperated in projects, I was on time. To prove that I was all of

the points noted, I had good attendance and work ethics. The teachers treated me equal for all the students which was with respect. And my peers treated me the way they would like to be treated which was with respect, empathy, and fairness. What did I gain? I gained a vast amount of knowledge and I learned equipment that I never new before such as what are the appro-priate steps to building a shed, the way to take down a kitchen in the right way, etc. Another important article that I gained was new friends and friendship to the teachers. How are the teachers? The teachers were very kind and easy going, in the way that if you get the job done, they are proud and appreciate all the hard work that was put into it. They were also very knowledgeable to the work that we participated on, they knew exactly what to do and if mis-takes were made, they knew how to put back into working order, which also made us learn what to do and what not to do. Over all, the teachers were very obliging and treated us with respect.

Recommend it to a friend? I would recommend this to friend who is interested in the trades, I wouldn’t recom-mend it to friends who I know would just fool around and take it as a joke just to get by. Although I would also recommend it to friends who want to learn about the trades even if they are not interested, after they enter this program, they might end up choosing it as a career because I know that I was not interested in becoming a tradesman, but after joining the program, I would love to do this for a living. “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade.” Thank You For The Opportunity N. Alibhai

How Did This Semester Go?

Page 16

EOP WEEKLY

Page 17

Coming into this program I real-ly didn’t know a lot about con-struction. Its been a very interest-ing semester it probably been one of the most memorable semesters in my high school years so far. Its difficult to try and describe EOP in just one letter, It has been any-thing but boring. But if I had to sum it up I would say that EOP is one of the best things that's hap-pen to me so far in high school. It changed the way i think about a lot of different things specially my future. With everything that all of us have gone through to-gether I feel like were a little fam-ily. We’ve had some pretty rough times but all of it was worth it to have had all the amazing, funny times we’ve shared. Being only girl in a an all guys class was ... interesting. I was well welcomed and treated with nothing but re-spect. I will admit at times I felt a little out of place, But At the end of everything I know I needed to be here. Everyone from start to the ending was very respectful and nothing but nice and kind. I absolutely loved being apart of this program. I loved the people i was surrounded with and the times we had, And the program academically its self. Iv learnt a lot being here and not only about just construction about team work and working with logic and work-ing well with a team for a long periods of time, which was never really one of my strengths.

I feel like iv gain so much more then I ever expected to coming into EOP. Learning important skills to be suc-cessful in the trades and in what ever I Want to be in the future. Team work skills, Building skills, The basic con-struction skills And so much more. I couldn’t stand the teachers! Just kid-ding I loved having Mr. Neale and Mr.leDuc as my teachers, I have a hard time finding a teacher that I can get along with. I had an amazing time be-ing taught by them. I would absolutely recommended this program to all of my friends, I know a lot of different people that would love to be apart of this in the future.

The Jessica Givens Experience!

Construction Update

When I first came to Green at the end of second semester last year I was in-terested in Co-op. I wasn’t really sure about it, taking E.O.P., but I didn’t want to go back to Carter so I did it. Throughout the whole summer, I still had second thoughts about the pro-gram. The morning of the first day, I was a little sceptical until I actually got to school and saw a few people I already knew. At that point I realized this se-mester was going to be good. After our first job, I knew it was going to be a great semester.

After the first couple months we all came to be good friends. We hung out all day at school, and on the weekends. We called ourselves a family. I like the freedom of working to get something done, and the freedom to take breaks when needed.

It just proves to me how much I want to get out of high school and start do-ing what I love to do, instead of sitting behind a desk . This program taught me so many different techniques for

building, how to properly use tools and valuable skills I’ll take with me forev-er. Definitely a semester I’ll remember forever – the time and the family.

This is definitely a program I would recommend to anyone who loves the trades and is looking for a foot in the door. I’ve met so many people who can help me in the future. I’ve gotten certi-fications that have helped me get a job and will help me get more jobs in the future.

If you just don’t do your best work at a desk, then this program is for you.

Not to mention the teachers are awe-some, Neale and Duke both put us and the program before anything else. They make the program really fun. Duke’s fun to make fun of but he’s also really good with helping out. Neale’s an all

around solid guy, and always around to help during school or out.

Will’s Story

Page 18

Construction Update

This year in EOP was completely different then I expected. I felt it would just be me keeping my head down working through the whole year without many distractions, but the group of people I was with this year prevented that completely. I did not expect to see any familiar faces, but remembering how EOP was last year I saw it was hard not to become a family with these people you are working with every day. Throughout the semester, I have been treated as more of a leader

because of this being my second year in the program. I have enjoyed this role because most of the group is younger this year. It has shown me that I have been able to keep the work ethic I had and could keep building on it. The placement I had during November also had me working extremely hard and showed me another side of myself. That if I want to get somewhere, even though it may be hard, I have to keep working through it to get to my goal. Coming back after the place-ment was a relief; it was nice

being back with my group. Being back in the group setting after a month was easy to adjust to, and it was nice having some sort of seniority again. Though I was only using this year to get to OYAP it turned into more. I learned a lot more about myself going through this year of EOP and I’ve also grown a lot more. Being here again has helped show me I have to ability to work wherever I want, and the ability to do it well.

Max’s Story

Page 19

Construction Update

My experience in EOP has been a very positive one. I haven’t liked coming to school for the last few years, I disliked com-ing to school everyday. It was the same thing, the same routine, the same courses; but when I came to EOP it was completely different. Being with the same people all day was a nice change, and I finally liked coming to school. I liked how we were with the same two teachers the whole semester, they didn’t treat us like students the treated us; like people with respect. You don’t get that from every teacher now. I liked how much independence they gave us; they trusted us, and we didn’t take advantage. It was treated as a workplace but also a tight-ly knitted family where we could share any-thing. I gained a lot of skills this semester; I even managed to learn some math too. I learned about creating different types of forms, I learned a lot about making and actually putting together different types of sheds, and we learned about mixing, cut-ting, and pouring concrete and mortar. If we get to making muskoka chairs this semes-ter I will be very happy, as I have only made one before in a previous custom woodworking class and really enjoyed it. I learned all about the trades and what you have to do to get into them. We learned about accelerated OYAP and what I would have to do to get into something like that. Learning about what collages and universi-

ties offer programs and courses related to what I want to become was really helpful because I had no idea on what collage or universities I would like to apply to. Going to Local 27 was such an awesome experi-ence. Getting a first hand look on what a union looks like, how it runs, a little bit about what it takes to get into a place like that, it was a really cool experience. One thing I never expected to gain from this program was an amazing girlfriend, I wouldn’t even expect a girl from our school to like construction enough to want to be apart of E.O.P., it was unexpected but in a really good way. The teachers can be your best friend, your boss, and your worst ene-my all at the same time but that’s what it made it one of the most successful semes-ters for me in my whole high school experi-ence. It was treated like a workplace not a classroom. The teachers would still be there and help you but they also wanted us to get ready for the work-place. In the real world your boss isn`t always going to be there to help you

out of a hard situation, so you need to start to learn what the real world is like. I can see this course being completely different if you had the wrong teachers, the teachers at this school make it enjoyable. I have already recommended this course to my friends who like construction or custom woodworking. They already enjoy every-thing they do in construction and are thinking about pursuing a job in the trades. This program is a great stepping stone into the trades. I had a lot of fun this semester and am actually going to be upset when I have to back to regular classes. It won`t be the same. All in all I had one of the best school semesters of my life. If I could I would take this class again next semester it was that enjoyable. I hope this program stays around for a long time and a lot of people take it. In conclusion, this was the best semester of my whole high school experience and I will never forget it.

Spencer Kranerts Story

Page 20

Construction Update

What I enjoyed about EOP is that I gained new opportunities and learned lots of new skills. I really enjoyed making the sheds be-cause I learned the steps that are needed to complete the assign-ment. The reason I really liked EOP is because I can learn something

about each trade; for example plumbing. I gained lots of experi-ence by doing kitchen rips, sheds,

teacher’s pro-jects, and I built my own pro-jects. I built a box that was really

strong. What I did really like about EOP was when we did the log sheets for the time. I really enjoyed EOP. What I gained in EOP is new experience and learned all about essen-tial skills we need for that trade. I hoping maybe next

semester I can take EOP be-cause I really en-joyed it. The teachers were amazing. I would recommended it for anyone that wants to get into a trade or the likes to work with there hands. Another thing I learned is that different type of tools for exam-ple like the plan-ner I felt really comfortable using the planner another tool that I felt comfortable

was the miter saw because I knew how to use it cause I took wood-working last year, and I like doing

kitchen Rips because I really like learn-

ing how to take apart a kitchen. I really had fun making the safety videos. Something else we learned in EOP was

CPR training. I really enjoyed EOP and I hope to take it again.

My Experience

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EOP SWAG

My experience in E.O.P was one of the best things that I could have done with this semester. The one thing that I regret is being very irresponsible with attendance and punctuality. I very much enjoyed the vibe of the class and all of the activities we had the privilege of doing. If it were possible I would have taken this class previous years to gain as much experience as I can before I graduate. I was treated

with nothing but respect by the students and the teachers. I felt I could ask anyone for help and they would help me to the extent that they could. I gained much more knowledge then I first thought I would before the pro-gram started. I learned many different ways to fix my mis-takes and many different ways to avoid mistakes. I learned many important terms that I will be using in the future as well as

the skill to use power tools or ma-chines safely and properly. The teachers were great and could not have been anymore lenient with me and my poor decision's. YESSS, I would recommend this program to anyone with hands on skills and an-yone eager to learn them. All ain all this was one of the best chapters of my life, and I would strongly recom-mend this experience to anyone.

Evan Telidis’s Story

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Construction Update

I would say E.O.P. was an interesting experience with a few bumps along the way but my expe-rience was a good one. I learned some valuable skills I could use in the future. I didn’t really know anything about construction when I first started off but now I know enough to get by in everyday life. I liked the program because it showed me that class isn’t that bad. I liked the fact that it wasn’t school everyday we did different things everyday it was never a dull mo-ment in the shop that’s for sure. If I had to rate this program on a scale to 10 I’d give it an 8 because it teaches you a lot. I feel I was treat-ed like I expected to be treated.

I gained a lot from this semester I gained the skills to go out & build a shed on my own if I wanted too. I gained knowledge to use machines I didn’t how to use before, like the drill press and the compound mitre saw. The teachers were fantastic and they taught us everything that we needed to know to succeed, not only in the shop, but in a career if we choose to pur-sue. They also taught us a better work ethic showed us that class doesn’t have to be a chore but a place to learn and have fun with your peers at the same time.

Some of the things I liked most about the program was the

teacher’s way of teaching it the material. I would definitely recom-mend this program to a friend be-cause some the skills learned in the program will help you in eve-ryday life and teach you to be a better person not only in life but in your work ethic too. To conclude, I would like to say this program is one that will whip you back into shape if you need it to.

Farhan Walji’s Story

Page 24

Construction Update

This semester was an awesome

experience for me and I loved it

and I made so many new friends

and I learned so many new skills.

The experience that I got was

very helpful and can help me get

into an apprenticeship program

but the problem is that I an inter-

ested in many different trades

but by me doing this program I

have learned so much infor-

mation about the trades. The

teachers, they helped me so

much. They might have got an-

noyed by me a lot but they were

still very helpful. This semester I

gained so much information, and if I

were to recommend this program to

a friend I would say that it ’ s an

amazing program but they should

only take the program if you ’ re

interested in the trades. The thing I

liked the most about EOP is the

team work, it works like we do

something as a team or we don ’ t

do it at all and that ’ s what I like

because it gives us a chance to

work to gather and communicate

with each other and get a better

understanding of how to do things.

It helps a lot to work as a team so

when we all are learning how to do

something and one of us forget

something then we can ask each

other how to do it that one of the

good things about working as a

team. But my favourite part

about this semester was learn-

ing all the new skills and all the

information I learned about the

trades and what I should do after

high school which will help me a

lot .

EOP Semester 1

Page 25

Construction Update

Describe your experience in the EOP program.

Coming into the EOP pro-gram with a basic background in con-struction and woodworking had me wondering if I would enjoy my semes-ter. To my surprise, I thoroughly en-joyed what was projected to me from the program; especially when working in teams on a daily basis. I’ve already had experiences with tools and to have such a well equipped shop that I can use is just brilliant. There are certain days where one can start a project of their own design and carry it out until completion and this is what I find to be most rewarding. Upon writing this newsletter, I came to realize that no matter what level of experience you’re at, the individual will always have a chance to learn a life long skill.

Did you like the program?

Why or why not? Personally, the program was

enjoyable due to the interweaving com-munication, humility, and humours between classmates and teachers. There’s a trust boundary that is devel-oped between students and teachers; having spend so much time together, this boundary grew at a rapid pace and before we know it, we’ve all grown quite comfortable together. Perhaps this underlying aspect in the EOP pro-gram is the glue to what made the worst days bearable. Working outside in cold, wet, dreadful weather is not exactly ‘fun’ but when working togeth-er as a loving group, the job gets done and all is well.

How were you treated? I felt adequately comfortable

with my classmates. Unlike “regular” classes, the EOP program’s students are together from the beginning of the semester to the end. Having so much time spent together, a large portion of the class grew into a ‘family’. Having to know each other well enough to

utilize each other’s strengths to our advantage makes working as a team effortless - a great tool when overcom-ing difficult obstacles. I always thought of myself as a student who was compe-tent in a lot of areas when working and it hasn’t caused any trouble. The few who needed help in some areas would sometimes come to me for advice; a splendid feeling knowing that you can mentor them.

What did you grain from this

semester? If an individual is keen to

learn something new every day, then it will almost always be so. I learned how the trusses are notched out for a roof, and how the roof itself came together.

There have been other experiences that the EOP program has done this semes-ter. For instance, the fall arrest training the class did during the beginning of the year, and a CPR training session (level C) that was quite informative. Aside from these secondary commodi-ties, the ‘average’ high school student who hasn’t swung a hammer in his/her life could learn quite a bit from this program. Mainly, the practice of using tools on a daily basis would be a great asset for anybody.

How are the teachers? The teachers, in my

opinion, were the best part of the pro-gram. They were open to the class and were very lenient (in my opinion). I partially believe that this was due to the amount of time we’ve spent togeth-

er; being a whole ‘family’ and all. Aside from their bountiful characters, their knowledge on the trades is very broad. It seems that the teachers have found the per-fect balance between leniency and serious-ness; not too much of either to set off an unbalanced work environment.

Would you recommend this pro-

gram to a friend? To individuals who are

simply curious in construction, the program may be suitable for them. The environment and tasks brought to the class is a small simulation of what the ‘real deal’ could be like. Basic skills are learned in this pro-gram; skills like the use of an array of tools and rudimentary theory on construction. However, a lot has to do with the individu-al. Everybody works and learns differently; some like the academic/knowledge based portion of the semester, whilst others simp-ly like to erect structures. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to make an inquiring effort to make the semester a worthwhile experience.

Jordan’s Story

Page 26

Construction Update

Page 27

Construction Update

Are YOU interested in the

Trades???? Here is how to apply: Contact Ryan Neale ryan.neale@yrdsb.edu.on.ca At Richmond Green Secondary School 1 William F Bell Parkway