Eight Huntsville High School (HHS) students in five different disciplines are headed to the 28th Skills Ontario competition in Toronto this week to vie for honours as the most skilled students in the province.
Riley Daigle (graphic design), Elora Middleton (cabinetmaking), Taylor Smith (photography), Sheridan Wells (baking), and a robotics team comprising Keira Brisebois, Riley de Gans, Nolan Meehan, and Sam Topps, will show off their skills at the Toronto Congress Centre by completing a variety of challenges in each of their disciplines. The events are timed and students are not allowed to request help from their teachers.
Sheridan Wells competed at Skills Ontario in baking last year, and says that experience will help her this year. “The shock factor is definitely not as strong this year because I know what to expect,” she says. “I’m going to approach it with an open mind and time myself this year and work on time management and then clean as I go.” She knows that she’ll have to stay within the theme – 1001 Nights – and that there are different time and weight restrictions. She will have to make 15 identical piped cookies, a loaf of bread that weighs between 400-500 grams, six buns each between 50-60 grams, and a French pastry (fruit tarts), and she’ll have to decorate a cake with homemade filling and buttercream. Baking competitors have to come prepared with their own recipes.
Photography student Taylor Smith will be heading to Skills Ontario for the first time. “I’m kind of anxious but excited.” For her competition, she will need to bring a portfolio of her best 20 images with a resume and cover letter for an interview with judges, as well as shoot a series of photos relating to a theme at the competition, complete photo edits, and display a photo for judges to view and ask questions about. Overall, she says, “they’re looking at how well we can tell a story, how well we can edit the photos.”
Graphic design student Riley Daigle has less information regarding what his tasks will be at the competition. Based on the scope provided, he thinks he will be asked to design packaging for a product, and in preparation he has been practicing his skills in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. “I’m learning some tips for speeding up production and techniques I can use,” he says. “I’m a bit nervous about it but I’m going to try to embrace what they give me at the challenge.”
Elora Middleton has also been practicing her skills for her first time at Skills Ontario. The cabinetmaking student has the material list for the competition but doesn’t know yet what she’ll be making. She’ll receive a blueprint to decipher and will be judged on the accuracy of her work; marks are deducted for incorrect measurements or cuts or even if she has to ask a question. In preparation, “I just keep practicing, trying to get more accurate.”
The robotics students left bright and early on May 1 for the competition and weren’t available for comment. Of the four on the team, only Sam Topps has been to the Skills Ontario competition before.
Winners in each category are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals and the chance to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition.
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