HWDSB in the News – October 2022
Please see some recent media stories, featuring HWDSB students, staff, schools, and more.
At 18, I only recently realized the importance of community engagement and politics
This column is an opinion by Shayyan Husein, a Grade 12 student at Orchard Park Secondary School in Stoney Creek, Ont. It is part of a special municipal election project by CBC Hamilton, featuring voices from the community.
– October 1, 2022
I turned 18 in April. I thought I cared about politics and being active in my community. I had been living in Hamilton for around a year by then and already felt devoted to helping out my community in any way I could.
For example, I worked for Elections Ontario, helping at a local polling station. I assisted residents of Hamilton to vote without any complications and running the voting location smoothly was our main goal.
This past spring I also helped start Orchard Park Secondary School’s first Muslim Student Association. I scheduled school events such as where we sold Kulfis (ice cream treats) to students and made sure we always had an available room to hold our Friday prayers. It was all part of building a safe and inspiring community for Muslim students.
Yet, despite my activism, on June 2, I didn’t vote in the provincial election — the first time I would have been eligible to do so.
Why? It felt like I didn’t have the time. I felt it was not THAT important. As I happened to be working at a different polling station than what was assigned for me to vote at, I felt like I did not have the time to commute to my assigned location and vote. More importantly, I felt like missing my vote once would not matter much, so I allowed myself to miss it.
Just a few months later, I feel differently. This time, in the municipal election, I will vote.
Click here to read more on the CBC Hamilton website.
These Hamilton students with disabilities are getting training — and full-time jobs — through growing HWDSB program
Project SEARCH, the HWDSB’s transition-to-work program for young people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, has doubled its cohort in 2022 thanks to partnership with area YMCA and YWCA.
On a typical weekday, you might find Justin Gillespie sitting at his desk in the IT department listening to AC/DC or anything else “except for jazz.” It helps him focus, he says.
Gillespie is a full-time IT technician assistant with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) where he works testing cables, cleaning tablets, and troubleshooting and repairing equipment used by students and staff.
“I have a wide variety of skills,” he said. Outside of his 9-to-5 job, Gillespie is an avid YouTuber, gamer and photographer.
The 22-year-old was hired in January after a summer job and an internship with the central Mountain board of education department.
His favourite part of the job?
“Learning new things every day,” he said. “And coming to work.”
Gillespie is a recent graduate of Project SEARCH, the HWDSB’s transition-to-work program for young people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The year-long program offers each participant three internships that last 10 to 12 weeks, as well as employability skills training, such as resume building and communication skills.
Click here to read more on The Hamilton Spectator website.
‘Bikeology’ high school course peddles more than fixing bicycles
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School’s program teaches skills like creating a business plan, advertising and the basics of bike repair
By Kate McCullough – October 12, 2022
In a sunlit bay of a high school tech classroom, two 17-year-olds carefully inspect an old black cruiser with a leather saddle and rear rack hung from a bike stand.
The pair has already used Coca-Cola and aluminum foil to remove some of the rust. Now, they’re working on fixing the brakes.
“The brake lever is tense, so it’s hard to brake,” says aspiring ironworker Cody Wiebe as he and a classmate tested the mechanism.
Ethan Johnson, also 17, explains: “When you brake it’s not instantly locked up. Like, it’s going to take a while to stop.”
Twenty Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School students enrolled in “Bikeology” spend their mornings in the shop instead of at classroom desks. The two-credit marketing course teaches students the ins and outs of the bike industry, from running a small business to basic mechanics.
“To wake up and be able to go to this class is really cool,” said Ethan, who rolled in Wednesday morning on a blue e-bike, which he parked in the lot outside the garage. “I also like riding bikes and I want to learn how to fix them.”
Click here to read more on The Hamilton Spectator website.
Small steps lead to big results for Bernie Custis at Hamilton cross-country meet
Mohammad Hamada from Bernie Custis High School runs in the junior boys race at HWDSB’s cross-country track meet Wednesday.
Small steps — lots of small, quick steps — led to big results for Bernie Custis Secondary School at the HWDSB secondary cross-country meet.
The annual track event, held against a stunning fall backdrop at Christie Conservation Area, brought several hundred runners together Wednesday to challenge themselves, and each other.
Races were held across three divisions, novice, junior and senior, as well as para races for boys and girls.
In the novice boys event, Grade 9 student Shakir Saleh from Custis cruised to victory. Two races later, Mohammad Hamada from Custis finished second in the junior boys event. In the senior race, Yassin Saleh (Shakir’s brother) finished fifth running for Custis.
Click here to read more on The Hamilton Spectator website.
High school sports in photos: Ancaster wins varsity boys baseball
By John Rennison – October 27, 2022
The Ancaster Royals claimed their fourth straight Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board varsity boys baseball title Tuesday, defeating the Waterdown Warriors 4-1.
Waterdown’s Braxton Rivait scored his team’s lone run.
Updated on Tuesday, November 01, 2022.