There will be a greater variety of sector specific pathway choices available to secondary students as Bluewater District School Board expands its Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs.
Beginning in September 2017, Saugeen District Secondary School in Port Elgin will be adding Arts and Culture, and a new Construction program to its SHSM offerings. The Arts and Culture SHSM will expand upon the school's existing robust course selection with multiple areas of focus. Options in drama and dance will include performance, tech, and experiential opportunities that enable students to establish community connections, attend professional performances and workshops, and participate in musical theatre. A focus in visual arts will enhance the school's long standing profile as a respected participant in the local arts community. Course options will continue to focus on drawing, painting, sculpture, digital design, and art, to assist students in building portfolios for post-secondary art related programs, or personal skill development. The music program will continue to grow through courses that offer a balance between performance, theory, analysis, and music appreciation.
The new addition to the Construction SHSM will provide in-depth learning on safety education, while continuing to build on the school's proven high level of excellence that has resulted in numerous community projects over the past several years. Some of these include the creation of a band shell at Fairy Lake, a train station building for the Saugeen Rail Trail Association, an outdoor classroom for Port Elgin-Saugeen Central School, and more recently, the construction of a house for Habitat for Humanity.
Also starting this September, Owen Sound District Secondary School (OSDSS) will add Transportation to its SHSM offerings through a new Automotive program that focuses on diagnostics. Several supporting local businesses and organizations within the transportation sector are partnering with the school to help students specialize in this dynamic career pathway. OSDSS will also add the Agriculture SHSM to its array of choices, which will continue to operate in semester two at the Chesley District Community School satellite campus for students interested in the theoretical and practical sides of farming.
In addition to these newly expanded options, the many other existing SHSM programs in Bluewater District School Board are currently accepting registrations.
SHSM programs allow students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students can transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace. To register for an SHSM, students may contact their school's guidance teacher or visit the website.
