For Grade 11, I chose to take co-op and feel fortunate that Â鶹ÊÓƵ offers this opportunity. For my placement, I work at Crestwood Lower School which was where I attended elementary school and middle school. Every Monday afternoon and Thursday morning, I spend time in a Grade 3 classroom, helping the students with their learning and social skills. I have been able to build a connection with each kid in that class as well as the teacher. This co-op placement allows me to improve my communication, patience, empathy, active listening and organizational skills. I use these skills to help the students improve in the areas they are having difficulty with. One of the students in the class isn’t able to communicate her needs very well, has a lot of trouble with her reading and writing skills and it’s hard for her to be social with her peers. The experience I have working with her has not only helped her, but it has helped me see what kind of person I am.
Co-op is definitely a course I would recommend to incoming students, as it helps you in so many ways. For example, it gives you the opportunity to explore the interests you have and what you might want to do after high school. Over the past few months, I have enjoyed the experience of going to a workplace with new people and have a better idea of what I might like to pursue after high school.
We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.