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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, May 7, 2010 · 18 Students gained inspiration at skills competition By Riya Varman GRADE 8, RIVER OAKS P.S. O n Tuesday, April 13 at Robert Bateman High School, 650 elementary and secondary students competed in the Halton Skills competition. The participants were as diverse as the competitions. They included students with a variety of skills, interests, abil- ities and backgrounds. I was a member of a team from River Oaks Public School that competed in a variety of competitions. The experience was indescribable. The energy and engagement it took to arrange and execute this event was truly remarkable, and I am so grateful to the sponsors, board members, teachers, volunteers and everyone else who made this event possible. Even though everyone had a different event, we all had one goal -- to learn from the experience. The Halton Skills Competition provided us this chance to explore our fascinations, develop our skills and build on our teamwork. We moved into our teams once we entered the school. River Oaks Public School Hearing Aids for Less World's Smallest Most Advanc Starting at (total cost) BATTERY SALE $2.00 / 6 PACK Hear Right Canada 2456 Mount Forest Drive (at Guelph Line) Burlington $50 905-335-5252 Also located in Hamilton 905-667-8866 Stoney Creek 905-662-0781 FREE HEARING TEST We sell a variety of hearing aids from $167(total cost) hearrightcanada.ca had two groups participating in the Distance Challenge Grade 7-8 and I was in one of the groups. We got on the field with our cars and the judges came over. Our groups for the event practiced outside taking turns running the car. Finally, when it came to the actual race, we felt a little nervous, but mostly were ecstatic. Our teams worked hard and communicated strongly with each other throughout the course. We finished our event and went back to encourage our peers. River Oaks took part in Lego Robotics Grades 4-6 and 7-8 and Technology Grades 4-6 and 7-8. After we finished our events, we sat at our table and discussed our day. We all had something interesting to say, whether it was what we learned or what we thought about the challenge. After dinner, we headed off to the gym to see a performance by awe-inspiring Scott Hammel. He lives for his passion. The highlight of his act may be the escape from a straightjacket and an awesome video, but what I will never forget about him is his undying passion for what he does. He spoke about the reason we were all there -- because we are skilful at something we enjoy doing and we should never ever let that slip away. The award ceremony was the best part of the day. Our hard work paid off and we received a gold in both events. The other River Oaks team received a silver in both events, our Lego Robotics Grades 7-8 received a gold and the Technology group received a bronze. Our Grades 4-6 Technology team and 4-6 Lego Robotics team did a great job and represented us with great enthusiasm. I was impressed by the variety and number of events there were. They were all so fascinating and I couldn't help but feel inspired by the individuals who came up to receive their awards as well as all the students who participated. The events ranged from technical skills, auto collision repair, and architectural computer-assisted design to hairstyling, baking, carpentry and graphic design. Next year, when I'm in high school, I'm definitely coming back to participate in the numerous possibilities that the Halton Skills Competition 2011 will offer me. TOTAL RAIS $ 50,000 TOP CHALLENGES TOP TEAMS OVER $1000 TOP ALL AROUND FUNDRAISER A BIG Thanks to as our Food Sponsor We Gratefully Acknowledge the Following: