Chris Davis - Experiential Learning Week (ELW) returned to Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) October 23-27. It's year five for the program, which engages students with hands-on learning experiences that are in part chosen by themselves. The courses were chosen by the students, narrowed down by their choices from an extensive list of possibilities. All grades at MHHS participated, and high school students were graded on their efforts. Regular educational programming is suspended at the school while ELW is ongoing.
Josh Davis - As a part of Experiential Learning Week at Matthew Halton High School on May 2 to May 6, athletically inclined students has the opportunity to take a course on volleyball and basketball. Coach Randy Whitehead, who taught the course from Monday to Thursday, said the kids were having a lot of fun. “They’re tired. We’re working them out, I think they’re ready for a nap. I’m ready for a nap.” Whitehead was absent on Friday, so Coach Wayne Alexander took over the course for the day. Students had to fill out a worksheet on technical and fouls on Friday, in order to earn their credits, and were also judged on participation.
Josh Davis - Matthew Halton High School held its 2016 experiential learning week from May 2 – May 6. One of the courses held throughout the week was a horsemanship, which took place at the Pincher Creek & District Agricultural Society’s Horseshoe Pavilion. Audrey Westrop helped teach both the beginner and intermediate horsemanship courses. Westrop provided horses for the beginner students inside. She taught intermediate students first couple of days, then taught the beginner students on Wednesday and Thursday. Westrop donated all of her time.
Josh Davis - As a part of Matthew Halton’s Experiential Learning Week, which took place May 2 to May 6, students signed up for the Crazy Cakes course. Teacher Ian Robertson gave the Crazy Cakes students an order for a specialty cake, which they then had to fill to the specifications. Students had to figure out the costs of their cakes, and the profit margin they would make from their product.
Matthew Halton High School held a robotics course as part of its 2016 experiential learning week, held from May 2 to May 6. Students were given the opportunity to put together and program robots supplied by EZ Robot. The CEO of STEM Learning Lab Dennis Kombeitz supervised the students. On Friday the students demonstrated what tasks they had built and programmed their robots to perform.
Entrepreneurship students show off their canned goods
Public welcome to come to Matthew Halton High School for Crazy Cakes tasting and tea at 11:00 am Friday May 6, proceeds to support the Red Cross wildfire relief effort
Josh Davis - Experiential Learning week is back at Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) in Pincher Creek. Experiential Learning Week gives high school and junior high school students the opportunity to explore their interests and potential future careers, signing up for activities including robotics, horsemanship, criminal justice, entrepreneurship, and many more! This year for the first time nearly 21 students from Matthew Halton and 7 students from St. Michael’s are present at Lethbridge College, living in residence while taking specialty courses in the Justice and Public Safety, Digital Communications and Media, or Interior Design Technology programs.
Paul Kingsmith, Communications Specialist, University of Lethbridge
The halls and classrooms of Lethbridge College will get a burst of youthful energy this week as nearly 30 students from Pincher Creek high schools take part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW).
Matthew Halton High School Principal Sandra McDuffe
Toni Lucas - Students from Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) took part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW) from Monday, October 19 - 23. The students took a single immersive class in a option of their choice they were enrolled in for the duration of the week. MHHS Principal Sandra McDuffe "It is a week we set aside to have student explore their interests, passions, and talents. We give them an opportunity to experience a hands on learning environment were they can be fully immersed in their learning. This our fifth ELW."
Students from Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) took part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW) from Monday, October 19 - 23. The students took a single immersive class in a option of their choice that they were then enrolled in for the duration of the week.
Toni Lucas - Animal care class covered the care of all animals whether furred, finned or feathered. The class went to the zoo, and had a pet-parade show and tell. The care and feeding of animals was the focus, creating more empathy and understanding among the students. A few of the projects included making bird feeders and chew toys.
Fall 2015 ELW programs and activities included: Sewing, Ultimate Frisbee, Butcher, Edible Gifts, Film Study, Animal Care, Drama, Basketball/ Volleyball, Hockey, Junk Yard Wars, Outdoor Survival, Knife Forging, Painting/ Drawing, and Photography.
Students from Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) took part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW) from Monday, October 19 - 23. The students took a single immersive class in a option of their choice that they were then enrolled in for the duration of the week.
Knife forging gave students the opportunity to work metal. The students had to finish two knives, one out of flatstock and the other out of another metal such as rebar or wire. Students had to chose their own design and then forge, heat treat, sharpen sand and hone their own blades. Many chose to attach a handle, and a few chose to attach their blades to a long handle, making spears.
Students from Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) took part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW) from Monday, October 19 - 23. The students took a single immersive class in a option of their choice that they were then enrolled in for the duration of the week.
Toni Lucas - In art class on of the projects the students took on included finding a famous peice of art they admired and recreating it with some changes. Saylor LaGrandeur chose Van Gogh's 'Bedroom in Arles'. Instead of pitcher and basin on the table she depicted a more modern item - earphones, Definitely a much more modern and individual take on the famed one-point-perspective piece.
Students from Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) took part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW) from Monday, October 19 - 23. The students took a single immersive class in a option of their choice they were enrolled in for the duration of the week.
Cayleigh Duffield was pretty proud of what she achieved in sewing class during Experiential Learning Week. She made a pillowcase, apron, handbag, and was making a small bag to match her handbag. More important than the extra credit, she was finding she enjoyed the process of creating and wanted to have a small organizer for the large purse she had already made. She had never used a sewing machine before and felt much more confident about her abilities and understood sewing and textiles more. The course was augmented by sewing machines and sergers borrowed from a school in Claresholm.
Photogs Marissa Hagglund, Parker Starzyk, and Abigail Ney at Soapbox racing
Toni Lucas - If a picture is worth a thousand words, the students in the Photography class during Matthew Halton High School's fall Experiential Learning Week were handing in essays. The students got to understand more of how cameras work, and what constitutes a good photo. The students I spoke to supplied their own camera for the class, all of them digital single lens reflex models.
Students from Matthew Halton High School (MHHS) took part in Experiential Learning Week (ELW) from Monday, October 19 - 23. The students took a single immersive class in a option of their choice that they were then enrolled in for the duration of the week.
Toni Lucas - What do kitchen chairs, a wheelbarrow, bicycle handle bars, and an chunk of old wire fencing have in common? They were all used as parts for this years ELW Junkyard War Soapbox Derby. Mechanics Teacher Travis Epp took the students to a scrap yard in Fort MacLeod to find parts for their DIY projects. A total of 23 students were split into 8 teams to make non-motorized gravity driven vehicles which had to include steering and brakes. The students had to envision, design, assemble, weld and create their vehicles. Then they had to ride them past the finish line.
Josh Davis - On the evening of Thursday October 22 students at Matthew Halton High School presented the play they had written and work-shopped for Experiential Week, Masquerade Madness: A Mermaid's Tail. Masquerade Madness was a humorous romp, featuring mythical characters and set in High School. As the evening of the masquerade approaches, it is up to the de-powered Witch to prevent a jealous Mermaid from ruining the dance. The production was created and workshopped entirely by students as part of Halton’s Experiential Learning Week.
Matthew Halton School Principal Sandra McDuffe T. Lucas photos
Toni Lucas - On the evening of Thursday December 5, Matthew Halton High School held a volunteer appreciation supper for all those that helped during Experiential week, which was held October 21 - 25 at area schools. Approximately 100 staff, volunteers, and students attended, celebrating the opportunity the school gave students to try new things that aren't covered in the regular curriculum.
Toni Lucas - Pincher Creek's Matthew Halton High School in Pincher Creek tried something new and let students sign up for a course of interest in various fields, taking one week of the semester for them to get to know that field in a hands on way from October 21 - 25. Some of the courses during the week included mechanical skills, photography, first aid certification, wildlife studies, outdoor survival, mechanics, creative baking, construction, and sports camp.
Young carpenters with teacher Zach Harris T. Lucas and C. Davis photos
Toni Lucas - The Construction component of Matthew Halton School's Experiential Week was led by teacher Zach Harris. He supervised 20 students from grade 7 - 12 as they tore down and rebuilt an old fence and deck at a local property. The homeowner paid for the supplies and 20 students worked together to build a deck, 160 feet of fence, and a front step.
Team Red Bull: Thank you for the headcam footage Video and photos: Team Red Bull, C. Davis, T. Lucas
Pincher Creek's Matthew Halton School tried out something new last week. This is one of a series of stories about Experiential Week, which gave students a chance to stretch in new directions.
Video by C. Davis, T. Lucas and Team Red Bull (GoPro helmet cam)
Toni Lucas - Matthew Halton School Automotive Teacher Mr. Travis Epp had 24 kids from grades 7 - 12 make 9 boxcars in one week. These mechanical marvels were put together out of supplies from the automotive shop and woodworking class. Riders wore helmets as they plummeted down Police Avenue as fast as their carts could carry them. The road was closed off for the race, with EMS personnel on standby in case of any trouble. Bylaw officers Nigel Whittington and Gordon Pitt clocked the kids with the speed sentry. Events included speed trials, a slalom course, and turning and braking.
Team Tonka
Not every cart made it through one run all the way to the bottom, but even during the worst crashes the worst injuries were bruised egos.
Some drivers required an extra push, some went off track entirely, and Reed of Team Bumblebee abandoned his vehicle to sprint down the hill. How he lost his shoe in the process is a mystery to me.
Team Bumblebee
In the speed trials Team Monster and Team Red Bull were each clocked at 33 km/h and had the chance to race each other at the same time. For that one run both teams were on a steeper part of the hill than the earlier trials and would be relying on gravity rather than a push from teammates to start them off. Team Red Bull got off to a better start and won the race.
Experiential learning week: First aid and photography on hand
The slalom was a challenge too difficult for some to contemplate. The pylons got bruised. One team laid rubber when they stopped very quickly for the brakes challenge.
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