Grade 8 OYAP Trades Days at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School

St. Mary Catholic Secondary School is proud to host Grade 8 students from our Pickering and Uxbridge feeder schools for a hands-on experiential learning opportunity promoting the skilled trades and technologies through an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) trades day.

Grade 8 students work with St. Mary staff and student leaders in the construction technology and transportation technology workshops to explore skilled trades through a project. Students develop a plethora of essential and technical skills through the trades event from numeracy using measurement, communication in interacting with senior St. Mary student leaders and staff, and technical trade skills including how to safely use many types of tools and equipment in the shops. 

Through funding provided by OYAP, Grade 8 students create a personalized plaque. In the woodshop students cut the wood for the plaque with a mitre saw, router the edges, burn or etch their initials in the back and sand the wood smooth. In the auto shop, students get to measure and cut metal frame pieces with a hack saw, smooth the edges with a grinder, etch their phase or initials into the metal using a plasma cutter, weld the metal frame pieces together and, finally, affix the metal frame to the wooden plaque.

Students also participated in a student-led tour of St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, organized by St. Mary Guidance team, and an opportunity to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

Thank you to St. Mary Tech teachers (Mr. Sorbilli and Mr. DiFonzo), St. Mary SHSM students, Ms. Dehaney (Intermediate Guidance Teacher), Mrs. Wilson-Clark (St. Mary Co-op & OYAP Teacher) and Mrs. Longo (OYAP Coordinator) for creating opportunities for students to learn about the skilled trades through hands-on experience during this event!