John Tyler
Last week there were a number of activities that took Barriere Secondary School students into various parts of the region.
Girls’ soccer and girls’ rugby wrapped up their seasons with final league games in Kamloops. The girls’ rugby team is headed to the playoffs next week. The junior boys’ rugby team won their semi-final match in Clearwater and played in the city finals on Friday, May 10. The senior boys’ rugby team also finished league play in Kamloops, begin playoffs this week.
Grade 12 students completed their Capstone presentations over the last two weeks. On May 9 they hosted a gallery walk which was open to both students and the public. Presentations focused on a specific passion or interest of each graduate, and they spoke about connections between this learning and life after graduation.
A Capstone project is a celebration of learning and experiences. It is the students’ venue to connect with the world outside school and to demonstrate that they have the skills to go on to further education, enter the workforce, and/or operate their own business.
On May 9, all Grade 7 students attended a career and trades day at TRU, and on May 10 all Grade 7 and 8 students went to Chu Chua for a cultural and wellness day hosted by Simpcw First Nation. Students were joined by students from Barriere Elementary and Blue River Elementary. Stations included crafts, learning about salmon and water cycles, drumming, plant medicine, language and mountain biking. Thank you to Simpcw First Nation for hosting and providing lunch to all students.
May 6 was Yellow Shirt Day in recognition of Wishbone Day. Nationally this day is recognized to raise awareness for Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of collagen, an integral component of bones, teeth and many other parts of the body.
Raising awareness is crucial, as it helps to raise the funds that are needed to support families living with OI. Osteogenesis Imperfecta Week is scheduled around Wishbone Day (May 6), the international OI Awareness Day. Each year during National OI Awareness Week, OI community members request state proclamations, hang flyers, hold events, and share social media posts to raise OI awareness.
A reminder that Friday, May 17 is a professional development day and there will be no school for students.
John Tyler is the principal of Barriere Secondary School.
