Focus on 51

Last month, a Lethbridge Collegiate Institute student made a little history in the welding competition at the South West Regional Skills Canada event.
Brooke Vatamaniuk took first place as Career Transitions partnered with Lethbridge Polytechnic and Skills Canada Alberta to host the competition. Zachary Michaelis, also from LCI, came in second. 
Please see the video below, as Vatamaniuk and Michaelis speak about the competition, along with how their experience at LCI prepared them.

On March 27 at Winston Churchill High School, the skills, talents and passions of students throughout Lethbridge School Division were on full display.
The 2025 ICE Awards Scholarship Showcase event filled the WCHS gymnasium with musical and artistic talent, along displays that put a focus on technology and business.
Students had an opportunity to fly drones, learn about esports and virtual reality, try their hand at archery and explore the world of robotics.
Four middle school displays were also award $100, to go toward their respective programs at their schools, as G.S. Lakie Middle School's Dance Performance and its Modern Music Academy tables were recognized, along with Senator Joyce Fairbairn's Band and Instrumental Music table and Wilson Middle School's Cultural Showcase table.
Four winners of last year's $1,000 ICE Awards Scholarship also gave presentations about their winning projects, as Larissa Ganger, Autumn Koch, Bobby Zhao and Selina Sun and the WCHS Math Club spoke to the gathered audience.
Amazing door prizes, such as a Lenovo laptop and a gaming setup, were raffled off.
And as always, the showcase, along with the $1,000 scholarships, would not have been possible without the support of the many sponsors, which included Event Sponsors Southland Transportation, TLD/CustomWorks, Marsh, DeJong Architecture, Ward Bros Construction Ltd., First TechniCall and Scholarship Supporters RBC, MNP, Brownlee LLP, Dawson Wallace Construction, Inspiris, RW Mechanical and Plumbing, Cavendish Farms and FWBA Architects.

On March 26, a group of Lethbridge School Division teachers made the trip to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump for a day of Indigenous Professional Learning.
Please see the video below for more information on this impactful, educational experience.

On March 25, Nicholas Sheran Elementary School hosted its annual Project Fair.
Judging took place in the morning, and classes toured the projects in the afternoon, as students had the opportunity to showcase their passions! 
Please see the video below for more information.

On March 24, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute hosted a ceremony for Oliver Billyard, who recently signed with Lethbridge Polytechnic to play volleyball next season.
Lethbridge recently finished second in the ACAC.
Kodiaks assistant coach Matthew Primrose was on hand to welcome the Rams standout to the team.
Please see the video below for more details.

Applications are now open for the 2025 Lethbridge School Division ICE (Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship) Awards Scholarship.
The $1,000 scholarship is open to Division students currently in Grade 9 to Grade 12.
Visit the SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION page on our website to apply!

On March 19, two Lethbridge Collegiate Clippers volleyball players signed on the dotted line for a very unique opportunity.
Alyssa and Addison Piekema, who are sisters, will be playing volleyball for Grant MacEwan University in the fall.
Please see the video below for details. 

Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams standout player Jack Ponech recently signed with Red Deer Polytechnic to play volleyball next season.
Red Deer won Nationals in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association this year. 
Ponech is set to take Justice Studies in Red Deer.
Please see the video below for more details.

On March, the tables were turned at Winston Churchill High School, as a group of students set out to teach their teachers a thing or two.
During a professional learning day for staff, students volunteered their time and taught WCHS staff a number of afternoon courses, which included drama, digital design, archery and beading, just to name a few.

Yesterday, at the Yates Memorial Theatre, G.S. Lakie Middle School Dance Program students took to the stage for the production of the dance extravaganza, ULTRA. Students performed five shows, which each included 25 numbers. Over 200 students were involved in the show, which also included a collaboration with the Coalbanks Elementary School Spanish Bilingual Program.

Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School students are set to showcase their musical and theatrical talents in a unique production. Later this month, Fairbairn will be one of the first middle schools in the province to debut Zombie Prom. The show is set to run March 24-27.

On March 6, Chinook High School students participated in the local CANstruction YQL event at Centre Village Mall.

On Friday, Feb. 21, Lethbridge’s Fire and Emergency Services hosted a survivor reunion for Grade 9 Lethbridge Collegiate Institute student Cameron Boehme. Earlier this year, Boehme collapsed during a basketball practice at the school. Three LCI teachers, Ross Bekkering, Darren Majeran and Tysen Pushor, worked to stabilize Boehme before Lethbridge Fire and Emergency staff arrived at the school. Boehme is now back at school, thanks to the combined efforts of LCI staff, the players on his basketball team and Lethbridge's first responders. On March 5, the school also hosted a pep rally to honour first responders, the three LCI teachers and some of Boehme's teammates, who were all given Green 2 Gold awards.

On March 4, Westminster Elementary School celebrated the launch of a very special book - I Wish You Could See.

On March 4, École Agnes Davidson hosted the annual Science and Heritage Fair, a tradition that has taken place at the school for over 20 years.

On Feb. 28, Winston Churchill High School wrapped up its Black History Month Speaker Series with a presentation from teacher Genevieve Ahart.
The theme for the speaker series was, Black Legacy and Leadership: Uplifting Future Generations.
Ahart, who grew up in Champion, Alberta, spoke about the challenges of growing up while being one of the only black families in the area. 
On May 20, 2017, Ahart's true resilience was put to the test when she suffered a stroke while playing rugby. She spoke about her recovery, and how it all led to her return to WCHS, where she returned to the classroom with her passion for teaching and art still intact.
WCHS teacher Sam Ojo, a Nigerian-born educator, spoke earlier this month about his advocacy for the internationalization of education, along with his recently completed research projects geared towards raising awareness of the United Nations sustainability goal of quality education.
The speaker series also include Julian Spearchief-Morris, a former University of Lethbridge Pronghorns basketball player who went on a graduate from the Harvard School of Law.
Please see the video below for more details on the speaker series presentations from WCHS teachers Ahart and Ojo.

On Friday, Feb. 14, students at Park Meadows Elementary School completed a special project, designed to spread kindness and celebrate 100 days of school.
The 100 Cards of Inspiration initiative started two years ago when the school's beloved Kindergarten teacher was on a medical leave fighting her own journey with cancer. 
"I was in Grade 1 and wanted to bring a little more meaning to 100 days," said Park Meadows teacher Stacey Hegland. "Together, the students and I thought it would be a great idea to create 100 cards of inspiration and hope to give to the cancer treatment ward. We even had someone write back expressing how thankful she was to receive the card, as she was just beginning her chemo treatment."
The project just took off from there.
"We did it again in Grade 2 and this year the other Grade 2 and Grade 3 classrooms decided to join us," said Hegland, who added tow Kindergarten classes also joined the project this year.
Park Meadows was hoping to have 500 cards of inspiration ready for today.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute hosted a Cultural Tasting event as part of the school's recognition of Black History Month.
LCI families were invited to showcase their cultures by bringing a dish for the potluck, which featured Nigerian meat pies and puff puffs.

Chinook High School Coyotes football player Steven Kish is heading to the University of Alberta.
On Feb. 12, during a quick ceremony at Chinook, Kish signed on the dotted line to become a Golden Bear.
The Chinook senior plans to pursue a Degree in Education at the U of A.

Gilbert Paterson Middle School is proud to present Oliver! Jr.
Performances will take place Monday, Feb. 10 through to Thursday, Feb. 13 at Gilbert Paterson.
Performances start at 7 p.m. each evening (doors open for rush seating at 6:30 p.m.).
Tickets are $7, and are available on SchoolCash Online.
There will be limited tickets available at the doors. 

On Friday. Feb. 7, Park Meadows Elementary School students gathered in the gym to showcase their work at the school's Project Fair.
Please see the video below for more details on the event.

The Churchill Challenge, now in its third year at Winston Churchill High School, has been designed to connect students with their school community.
As part of the challenge, students compete for monthly points and prizes. This year, Churchill student Brendan Liu designed the official Churchill Challenge shirt, which includes a logo on the front and four colours on the back, which represent the four teams at the school.
Please see the video below, where Liu and Churchill teacher Shannon Court talk about the Churchill Challenge concept.

On Thursday, a project years in the making came one step closer to reality.
Winston Churchill High School hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for an instructional weld shop building, made possible through the support of Southland Trailers, along with its dedicated partners, which include Neu-Lite Electric Inc, Top Notch Mechanical, 1st TechniCall Systems Inc, Litterbug Waste Disposal Service, Rite-Way Fencing Inc., Banditos Inc. and EECOL Electric.
The facility will feature state-of-the-art amenities, including seven welding booths, specialized areas for grinding and cutting and additional spaces to facilitate hands-on training.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included Lethbridge-East MLA and Minister of Affordability and Utilities Nathan Neudorf, along with City of Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen and Lethbridge School Division Board Chair Christine Light. 
Southland's Ashton Ervin, the project manager for the weld shop endeavour, also spoke on behalf of the company.
Thursday's event also included a variety of WCHS students performances, to make it a day to remember for the school and for the community. 
Please see the video below for more details on this exciting project.

Immanuel Christian Elementary School teachers Jackie Postman and Cheryl Winkelaar speak about the new Blessings Box students have been able to contribute to.
Check out the video below for all of the details. 

On Jan. 21, the Latin Grammys, the biggest night in Latin music, put on a show in Lethbridge! 
Over the last few months, students at Coalbanks Elementary School have learned about various Hispanic music genres and artists from 16 different countries, and developed their language proficiency at the same time. In preparation for the Grammys, students read and had conversations about different artists from different Hispanic countries, as songs went head to head in a weekly tournament of songs.
The culminating event, the Latin Grammys show, was a celebration and community showcase of their language learning.
It even including a special guest video message from the one and only Jennifer Lopez!
Please see the vide below for more details.

On Jan, 21, a group of Lethbridge School Division high school students had an opportunity to go for a run with a Canadian Olympian.
Students from Chinook High School, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute and Winston Churchill met at Runners Soul early in the morning and then took off on a group run around Henderson Lake with Malindi Elmore.
The native of Kelowna, British Columbia competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 2021 Games in Tokyo, Japan. Her final Olympic appearance was in 2024 in Paris, France.
Please see the video below for more details.

Once again, Save On Foods and Victoria Park High School have teamed up to provide Christmas hampers this holiday season to families in need.
Please see the video below for more details on what has become a December tradition!

This year, Nicholas Sheran Elementary School students found a unique way to spread holiday cheer to seniors at AgeCare Columbia.
On Dec. 18, three miniature horses from Gentle Giant Acres stopped by the school to collect Christmas cards students had created for local seniors.
Classes on Kindergarten students, all the way up to Grade 5, had an opportunity to head outside and place their class cards in the saddlebags on the ponies.
The pony express then made its way to AgeCare Columbia to drop off the cards.
For more details on the holiday initiative, please see the video below.

On Dec. 17, Senator Buchanan Elementary School students were treated to a Christmas dinner, provided by Sky + Table Event Group and served by volunteers at the Bridge Community Church Of The Nazarene.
The event also served as an opportunity for Buchanan to recognize the many local companies, organizations and families that support the school throughout the year. 
Please see the video below for more details.

On Dec. 13, students at Park Meadows Elementary School had the opportunity to participate in Market Day.
Market Day offers students the opportunity to make and sell homemade crafts and goods, and promote products or services. Over 300 students shopped at The Market, as classes were divided with a selling and shopping schedule. 
Please see the video below for all of the details.

The week of Dec. 9, 2024, Galbraith Elementary School hosted the second annual Putt Putt Palooza (2.0) event.
Classes created a mini golf course, set up in the gym, for their fellow students to enjoy.
Please see the video below for more details!

Wilson Middle School's production, Beauty and the Beast Jr., is set to run Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Dec. 17-18 at 7 p.m. each evening.
The show is directed by Lauren Granberg and choreographed by Carianne Heidinger. Erin George-Samuel is the musical director and Raelene Archibald is the executive producer. 
Tickets are $10 and are available through SchoolCashOnline: TICKETS. 

Winston Churchill High School Drama is set to present Matilda, The Musical.
The Roald Dahl classic, based on music by Tom Minchin and the book by Dennis Kelly, will run nightly on Dec. 12, Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 at the University of Lethbridge Theatre.
General admission tickets are $23 and students and seniors at $18.
Tickets are available through the University of Lethbridge Box Office. 
The Dec. 12 and 13 shows begins at 7 p.m., and the Dec. 14 show will kick off at 5 p.m.
Contact emily.morrison@lethsd.ab.ca for more info!

This week, students at Senator Buchanan Elementary School had the opportunity to pick out Christmas gifts for the grown-ups in their lives.
Thanks to assistance from volunteers at the Bridge Community Church Of The Nazarene, along with Buchanan's Carleen Baker, students could select their gifts and have them wrapped just in time for the holidays.
Please see the video below for more details.

From Dec. 11-13, the Chinook Dance Program will present, Vivid, at 7 p.m. each evening inside the Chinook Media Centre.
This show features various dance styles including hip hop, jazz, contemporary, pow wow, breakdancing and many more.
In Vivid, over 50 dancers from Chinook will use their movement, style and emotion to express the meanings behind the whole spectrum of colours.
Tickets can be purchased on School Cash Online or at the door for $10 for students/seniors and $15 for adults. It will prove to be a colourfully "Vivid" experience for all ages.
Please see the video below for more details.

On Dec. 3, students at Lethbridge Christian School participated in Skills Exploration Days, a one-day virtual event, which also included a classroom component.
Registered schools were provided with a toolbox that included the tools and materials students needed to participate.

On Dec. 2, students at Lakeview Elementary School had an opportunity to check out the Lethbridge Astronomy Society's new, portable planetarium.
Students were able to explore constellations, travel through the wonders of space and expand their knowledge in the immersive 360-degree dome.
See the video below for more details.

On Nov. 27, Lethbridge School Division students had a unique opportunity to explore the world of work. Students visited businesses throughout southern Alberta for the annual Trades 4U event, which gave students in Grade 9 to Grade 12 hands-on experiences trying a wide variety of trades.

On Nov. 20, the Winston Churchill High School Math Club hosted the Senator Buchanan Numeracy Night from 6-7:30 p.m. WCHS Math Club executive team members Jerry Wang, Brandon Haldorsen, Selina Sun and Mitchell Conrad talk about what the event is all about.

Lethbridge School Division students had a unique opportunity on Thursday. Through the Southern Alberta Collegiate Institute's E3 initiative (Explore, Engage and Experience), Grade 7 to Grade 9 students from Chinook High School, Gilbert Paterson Middle School, Immanuel Christian Secondary School, Lethbridge Christian School and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute visited Lethbridge Polytechnic for Harvesting Ambitions - Young Women in Agriculture.

The Space Program at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute is off and running for the 2024/2025 school year. On Monday, Nov. 18, students had an opportunity to hear from Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

Two Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams volleyball players have signed on the dotted line to play post-secondary next season. Hayden Hagel is set to attend the University UBC - Okanagan and Jillian Roest will play for Camosun College.

Senator Joyce Fairbairn is once again working on a submission for CBC Music's Canadian Music Class Challenge 2024.

This year, students at Winston Churchill High School have the opportunity to join a new Indigenous Leadership Class.

On Nov. 6, Grade 4 and Grade 5 Spanish Bilingual program students from Coalbanks Elementary School visited G.S. Lakie Middle School. Students shared in a day of collaboration through outdoor games, dancing and language instruction, all in a effort to get the elementary students excited about being able to continue their Spanish experience at middle school.

On Oct. 30, members of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's soccer team, led by head coach Vikram Virk, paid a visit the Minke Mountain Horse Elementary School. It was the team's fifth visit to MMH, all in support of of the school's soccer club.

Winston Churchill High School has introduced a new gardening program. As part of the program, the school is building a community garden on the south lawn that is used to teach CTS/CTF Agri-Gardening classes. In late October, classes wee filling in the raised beds before the weather turned cold.

On Friday, Oct, 18, Wilson Middle School hosted a Grade 7 Wellness Day.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, three elementary school and one Division middle school had an opportunity to participate in a unique learning opportunity.

Last year, Nicholas Sheran Elementary School participated in a year-long School Travel Planning process that was led by staff from The City of Lethbridge.

On Oct. 7, Gilbert Paterson Middle School students gathered in the Learning Commons for the first Chess for Life tournament of the 2024/2025 school year.

On Oct. 4, Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School handed out special awards for the 2023/2024 school year. The school honoured eight students at the Medal of Honour Ceremony, which has become a tradition for Fairbairn.

On Sept. 27, G.S. Lakie Middle School hosted an Orange Shirt Day event for Truth and Reconciliation.  Each advisor class designed a mini three-foot tipi. All the tipis were set up in the shape of a heart out front of the school. A school-wide round dance around the tipis wrapped up the event, which also included Elder Arnold Mountain Horse, drummers and dancers. Please see the video below for more details.

Sept. 26 was an important day at the Lethbridge School Division Education Centre (Blackfoot Name Aakaipookaiski, Meaning: Many Children). As the Division continues to recognize Reconciliation Week, the Indigenous Education team, with the help of students from Winston Churchill High School, along with central office staff, set up a tipi on the front lawn of the building. Following that, a Blackfoot Naming Ceremony was held for Superintendent Mike Nightingale, who received the name Piitapootaa (Eagle in Flight).

On Sept. 19, Panago North Lethbridge stopped by the Division’s Education Centre (Aakaipookaiksi Building) to drop off a cheque for $911 to help the Division support students in need.

On Sept. 18 at Westminster Elementary School, the Lethbridge Rotary Sunrise Club announced its commitment to fostering educational excellence and innovation by supporting the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program.

The Fourth Annual My 1st Ride event, hosted by Lethbridge School Division, Holy Spirit Catholic School Division and Southland Transportation, was held Saturday, Aug. 17 at The Children of St. Martha's School.