HWDSB Celebrates Education Week 2024
Last week, HWDSB students, staff and families celebrated Education Week and Mental Health Week 2024! School communities took part in dynamic educational opportunities in support of student engagement, learning and well-being. See below for a recap of all the exciting events and activities that took place throughout the week!
Westdale Nutrition Rally
On Thursday, May 9, students at Westdale Secondary School made their voices heard at the Nutrition Rally. Part of the school’s Mental Health Week activities, this event called for healthy school food and increased support for nutrition programming. The day was organized by Tomi Olagunju, a Westdale student leader who has been sharing her Bring Back Breakfast campaign across HWDSB and Hamilton.
Attendees included former and current Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Simoni Lawrence and Stavros Katsantonis. The football stars traded in their pads for plates as they dished out nutritious snacks to students. After the students filled up, the gathered outside for the official Nutition Rally. There were chants and speeches before a lap around the school. Their calls for healthy school food were loud and clear!
Mental Health Week Activities at Dr. J.E. Davey
Student members of Dr. J.E. Davey’s Positive Culture and Well-Being (HAT) team organized a full week of Mental Health Week activities for their school
community!
From Minds-on Monday, Wellness Wednesday, to Fitness Friday, each day of the week focused on a different
activity that promotes positive culture and well-being in the school community. Many HAT team members said Thoughtful Thursday was their favourite part of the week, as they had the chance to create “Thank You” buttons to distribute to staff! Students said it was a feel-good activity for everyone, as seeing staff happy made them feel happy too!
Another activity led by the HAT team was the Kindness Challenge, where classes were challenged to complete random acts of kindness. Any time students completed an authentic, random act of kindness, they coloured in a heart on their activity sheet. The class with the most hearts filled in won the prize of having a one-hour open gym period!
HAT team members mentioned they were excited to plan next year’s Mental Health Week activities at Dr. Davey, as well as Grade 8 students carrying their ideas into high school next year.
Thank you to Dr. Davey student leaders for fostering positive culture amongst your peers, and to Dr. Davey staff for encouraging students to be creative and take on these leadership roles!
Hamilton Cardinals School Day Game
On May 9, HWDSB students headed to Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium for the first ever Hamilton Cardinals School Day Game!
Hosted by the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), the exhibition game invited students to participate in trivia, join in on sing-a-longs, and participate in some of the Cardinal game day staples like the McPhail Tire Race and Kids Run the Bases. Students had the chance to win exciting prizes, adding an extra layer of fun to the educational experience.
Thank you to the HWDSB staff who helped plan the event, and to all the students for bringing your energy to cheer on Hamilton’s home team!
See the action-packed photos below!
Michael Jacques at Bernie Custis Secondary School
Michael Jacques paid a visit to Bernie Custis Secondary School during Education Week for two insightful presentations! Students and staff were treated to an afternoon presentation at 2 p.m. before families and community members were treated to his insight and experiences at 5 p.m.
Michael, a skilled public speaker and activist with autism and an intellectual disability, has wrote and self-published two books. Accompanied by his Executive Assistant/dad, Michael shared stories about being comfortable in your own skin, knowing your strengths, valuing relationships, and giving back to your community. Thank you for inspiring the Bernie Custis school community!
Mental Health and Well-Being Conference at Sir Allan McNab
On Wednesday, May 8, Sir. Allan MacNab students and staff hosted a Mental Health and Well-Being Conference!
The day was packed with learning sessions and workshops, including guest speakers presenting on topics such as self-identity, human rights and equity, anti-human trafficking, gender-based violence, and more. Students had the opportunity to ask questions and interact with local community organizations including YMCA Hamilton, Youth Alliance for Intersectional Justice, Just Train Performance Coaching and more. HWDSB staff also visited MacNab to host learning sessions, including members from the Human Rights and Equity team and Social Work team.
Thank you to Sir Allan MacNab students and staff for dedicating your time and energy to hosting this full day of learning!
Forge FC School Day Game
On May 7, HWDSB students visited Tim Hortons field for the Forge FC School Day Match!
Presented by Stelco, The School Day Match is an opportunity for students to be inspired by home-grown professional soccer players while enjoying an educational experience in the classroom. Over the past few weeks, students have made curriculum connections to Forge FC and soccer through learning in English, Math, Science and more.
Attendees could feel the energy buzzing in Tim Hortons field, as students and staff were cheering on their favourite players throughout the whole match. With the game ending in a 1-1 tie against CF Montreal, many students commented on how they can’t wait to watch the teams face off again in the second leg on May 22!
Thank you, Forge FC, for hosting an exciting day and helping Hamilton youth build community though soccer!
HWDSB Art Exhibit
Throughout the month of May, elementary and secondary artists are showcasing their talents at the HWDSB Art Exhibit! Visit the Education Centre (20 Education Court, Hamilton ON) this month to see the incredible artwork based on the theme of “Identity.” The Exhibit is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. and until 6:00 PM on May 21.
Can’t make it to the Education Centre? Check out the photos below to view some amazing pieces!
ChoirFest
Last week, over 1,000 elementary and secondary students raised their beautiful voices at Choir Fest!
School choirs from across the city performed at the Sir Winston Churchill Auditorium and benefitted from workshops led by clinicians Melanie Tellez and Brenda Uchimaru.
See the videos below to watch performances by Dundana, Earl Kitchener, and Lake Avenue school choirs, and to hear a peek of Dundana students working with Melanie, the Artistic Director of Hamilton Children’s Choir.
Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who have enriched HWDSB students’ lives with music last week!
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Updated on Friday, May 17, 2024.