Students at R.E. Mountain Secondary in Willoughby learn the core academic subjects – math, English, the sciences – but they also work in everything from metal to computer code, paint to pastry.
Today (Thursday, Feb. 11) the school will throw open its doors to the public for Arts Incorporated (Inc.), a festival of food, graphic design, music, drama, video, woodworking, and other items created as part of the school’s elective classes.
It’s the second such event, a showcase of what the teenagers can accomplish, said Toni Belton, a teacher and one of the organizers of the evening.
The Arts Inc. event was so big when it was first held two years ago, organizers realized they could only hold it every two years.
“We were so full it was beyond our expectations,” Belton said.
With the school’s transition to Grade 9-12 and the creation of nearby Yorkson Middle School, Yorkson students in particular will be invited to see the projects, Belton said.
It will give them an idea of what electives they might want to take when they move up to high school.
PHOTO: Quinn Jenkinson helped build the case for a retro arcade system created by students. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance)
Different students are working on different projects in a wide variety of areas. They’re hoping to have their ideas done for the Arts Inc. show.
• Jarrod Hansen has been building a small, remote-controlled robot arm. He’s hoping to have the little device ready to fling a ping pong ball, controlled through a cellphone app.
• Dylan Lee and three others are working on creating a new app for students, an R.E. Mountain scheduler. It could be customized with listings for school events, sports teams and games, and other educational and extracurricular projects.
• Quinn Jenkinson helped build the case for an arcade game students started last year.
“I still need to work on it a little this year,” he said.
The arcade can already play Frogger, Bubble Bobble, and a few other games.
• C.J. Christensen has spent four weeks putting together a three-legged stool in his woodshop class, from cutting the pieces, fastening them together, sanding, and finally varnishing.
PHOTO: Zoe Yuan, left, and Natalie Pelesz worked on some fettucine alfredo in foods class. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance)
• Students in Sherrine Francis’s foods class are taking part in a master chef competitions.
“Once a year they have to teach the class a recipe that they believe is their star recipe,” Francis explained.
Some of the best presenters will be showing off their recipes at Arts Inc.
Last year they ran out of food, “which I guess is a good problem to have,” Francis said.
This year’s Arts Inc. will involve about 200 students helping out, with art displays, improv theatre, and numerous displays and food.
Last time, more than 500 people attended the student showcase, Belton said.
Tonight, the doors open at 6 p.m., with the show wrapping up by 9 p.m. at R.E. Mountain, 7755 202A St.
PHOTO: C.J. Christensen put together a stool from scratch in woodshop. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance)
