$1 including gst
Titans win gold Page 12
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! Volume 106 Issue 29
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
HRA auction raises over $13k Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
Holden Rural Academy (HRA), the public charter school teaching grades 7-12 in Holden, held their second annual open house and fundraiser on Thursday, March 14. Registration information, student-led tours, and a barbecue supper were part of the open house, and over 200 people came for the meal. Before the live auction began, HRA Board Chair Justin Ewasiuk welcomed everyone and thanked the crowd for coming to take part in the evening. “I'd like to thank everybody for coming out tonight to support us. It's our second year since opening, we've grown, and there's a lot more interest. Everywhere I go I hear people talking about this school and how it has changed some kids’ lives. It makes me proud that we were able to do that. Kids say that they feel like they have a voice now and the teachers connect to them. I think
that's what education is all about. It's not just keeping it in-between the lines, it's finding a way to work with everybody’s needs, tailoring education to each individual person,” he said. Superintendent Wesley Oginski spoke about how the success of placebased learning at HRA has much to do with the community. “I'd like to say thank you to the communities. Place-based learning doesn't work unless the community wants to participate. Your generosity has been overwhelming, and I hope to see it continue as we grow,” said Oginski. Off Campus Coordinator Brian Dewar agreed and said the support from the community is the reason place-based education works. “It's about community support, to try and show the kids what we have in our small communities. We’ve had fantastic support. That's why this works. That's why it's good. It's you guys,” he said.
One example of a place-based learning placement is Grade 11 student Zane Gunderson, who works at Crop Management Network in Holden. Account manager Garth Dinwoodie spoke of the work Gunderson is doing, and the benefits place-based education has had for their company. “So far, Zane has been the only successful part time guy we've ever been able to hire. In the smaller communities if you get somebody that wants to work, they want full time work. In our business it makes sense to have somebody that can just work the afternoon, or something like that. “What we do is sell seed, fertilizer, and chemical to local farmers in our area. Zane is doing work experience with us, but basically it's a part time job for Zane. When he started with us, he got his safety training up front, and then rolled right into a part time operations job for us. Some of the benefits we see of place-based education,
for the company, is the potential pipeline of new and upcoming employees. Being able to access a pool of young kids that may want to stay close to home and do something in agriculture, I think it's going to be a win for us and for the school,” Dinwoodie said. Principal Brent Anderson talked about his longtime history in the Holden and Ryley area, and his commitment to the community. “Although I’m new to the school and the position here, I'm not new to the community. Continued on Page 19
Maria Shihinski, manager of the Holden Lodge, spoke to the crowd at the HRA open house and fundraiser on Thursday, Mar. 14
A silent and live auction raised over $13,000 for the school's place-based learning program, at the fundraiser held at the Holden Rural Academy on Thursday, Mar. 14.
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