Huron Park Secondary School, Woodstock, ON
Grant term, 2024-2025
Our school is housed in Woodstock, a town in the middle of the country. Part of our school lives in town and part lives in the country, providing a unique mix of 1000 students from grade 9-12+ (our DE students stay in school until they are 21). We teach all levels from workplace to University level. We also have three special classes housed within the school: ASD class for students with Autism, the TCP (transition class room) for students with mental health and behavioural needs, and the ELC Classroom for students with Developmental Delays in need of a self-contained supported classroom. The Grant was sought out by the ELC teacher as a way to promote integration with other classrooms, to help support the school’s increasing food needs, and to further develop important life skills in the ELC (DE) classroom.
The grant has had a very important impact on the school community as a whole and the ELC classroom, specifically. It has allowed many integration opportunities between the ELC classroom and the English as a Second Language Class (which helped bring in a lot of cultural information and diversity) and the Horticulture class to lend expertise and help with growing and planting information. This has helped to create a more unified school culture and increased confidence and social skills of all those involved and has had a ripple effect on the whole school.
It has also impacted the school community as it has helped with diversity and nutritious food served at breakfast and lunch for those in need. Many diversified snacks have been made and created for the snack and lunch cart that sits in the front hall and allows all students equal access with no stigma attached. With the need of our school community increasing as food insecurity increases this has made a big impact.
We have also used our knowledge and grant money to create a weekly coffee cart with a variety of options for the staff. The grant has allowed us to keep the cost very low, impacting teachers’ morale and sense of community. They look forward to this day of the week, and we have over 80% of the school participating weekly, including custodial, administrators, and cafeteria staff. One of the science teachers literally jumps for joy each coffee cart day and says, “This is by far my favourite day of the week. The homemade food is great, and the service from the ELC Class is amazing.”
These initiatives have lead to an increased life skills aspect to the ELC (DE) program with more knowledgeable shopping, food preparation, and understanding the science and importance behind growing food. It has also helped them understand the business part and learn transferable life skills with the serving, cooking, and marketing of the products. It has helped them increase their confidence, feel like a more active member of the school and understand that they have a lot to offer! One ELC Student commented “I now know that I love baking and have a really good skill when before I felt like there was nothing I could do right.”
The extra effects and benefits from the initiative and activities we have been able to implement from the grant have far exceeded what we expected. The farm trip to MistyGlen Creamery was the first time that most of the students had been able to be on a working dairy farm and creamery and see how everything ran. The students were so excited, took so many pictures, and learned so much about all of the entire process from planting to making product. They also got to sample many products such as milk, cheese curds and ice cream. A great day that spilled into so many environmental and economic conversations. A parent messaged me after the trip saying, “Now my son is convinced he should have a job working with animals. He came home so excited and his positive energy was very catching.”
The parents have expressed pleasure with the initiatives we have been able to do as well. A parent wrote in “Thank you so much for sending home basil for Mother’s Day. My son was so proud to explain the whole process and I can’t wait to try it.”
Parents have been made aware of the various activities we are doing with monthly newsletters and field trip forms being sent home and have had the chance to share their thoughts and ask questions on several occasions.
The grant has really added so many layers to our program and has had such a positive impact on the school community and many of the individual members. It has allowed us to make community partners and build more relationships with local farmers and grocery stores that bring in local produce. The effects of the programs we have done has created a ripple effect that has leave to an increase in positive energy in different aspects.
