PHS hosts future students at annual open house

May 7, 2019

Caleb Nickerson

caleb@theequity.ca

CALEB NICKERSON

SHAWVILLE May 2, 2019

On May 2, excited grade six students got a chance to see where they would be headed next year at Pontiac High School’s annual open house. The event allows both prospective students and their parents to tour the building as well as meet with faculty and staff.

The evening began in the auditorium with a keynote address from Principal Debra Stephens, who welcomed the incoming class and went over some ground rules. Faculty lined up along the wall of the room and Stephens introduced them one at a time, noting the subjects they taught and any extracurricular activities they led.

She went over topics such as the school’s dress code and cyberbullying policy before releasing the crowd out into the halls of the school. Each classroom had a different project or display for the guests to pore over, in addition to staff and older students to chat with. Drinks were handed out outside the library and there was a hallway filled with greenery for sale from the school’s greenhouse.

Erica Tomkinson, a drug awareness and prevention officer with the school board, had a display outside her office detailing the effects of various narcotics. She said she splits her time between PHS and several other schools in the area, and added that prevention efforts in the early grades are one of the most effective ways of curbing teen substance abuse.

In the school’s wood shop, teacher Paul Chevrier had several projects that had been constructed by students for members of the community. There were Adirondack chairs and even sizable hen house which Chevrier said took several students about a year to construct.

In the welding shop, visitors could watch teacher Megan Tubman and several students at work cutting and binding pieces of metal.

The Maison des Jeunes teen lounge was open, though many of the children opted to make the most of the nice weather and played outside instead. Director Desiree Tremblay-Giroux said that since they opened in October, they’ve seen many more students coming to their lunch-time and after school programming on a regular basis. She estimated that the after school program averages around 45 kids per week.

Grade seven students Kaleah McLean, Mackenzie Gray and Kalie Laurent pose in front of a table of book covers their English class created.

Future students could take a look at some of the cool projects in the school’s wood shop, like the hen house pictured here. From left: Marissa Lang, Paul Chevrier, Paige Dubeau, Madi Alexander and Cade Kuehl.

Welding teacher Meghan Tubman uses a horizontal band saw to cut some material in the shop.

One hallway at PHS smelled particularly delightful as plants grown in the school’s greenhouse were sold to visitors.

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