Craig Kielburger Secondary School Welcomes Incoming Grade 9 Students Through IGNITE! Program

Students pass a hoop down the line during a team building activity on the field.

Craig Kielburger Secondary School in Milton hosted its second annual IGNITE! event this week, a two-day transition program designed to help incoming Grade 9 students feel comfortable and confident before the start of the school year.

This year’s program welcomed 140 students from local elementary schools, along with a number of students coming from outside the board, giving newcomers an early chance to meet peers before the first day of school.

Jennifer Brown, a secondary teacher at Craig Kielburger SS who helped run the event, explained the thinking behind the program. “The goal of IGNITE! is to have the students in the school before classes start after Labour Day,” she said. “It’s for them to get comfortable with the school, get comfortable with the staff, find out where their classes are, where the resources are, and look for the people that they can go to for help. Hopefully it helps ease their transition from elementary school to secondary school.”

Students spent the two days taking part in a variety of activities, including team building exercises outdoors, a school food program where they baked and later enjoyed their own cookies, and creative arts activities involving watercolour painting and structure building. Brown said the response from returning students has been encouraging. “Talking to kids who did the program last year, they felt that they had some adult faces that they knew right away that they could go to. They’d also made some connections with kids who were in their classes,” she said. “I think it’s really helped them feel a little more comfortable going from a smaller school to a much bigger environment.”

Grade 9 students listen to instructions before an outdoor team building session.

For many students, the day brought a mix of excitement and relief. Audrey Allan, an incoming Grade 9 student, said she is looking forward to the year ahead. “I’m excited to make a lot of new friends, and today I feel like I’ve met a lot of new people, and I’m more excited to go into the classes,” she said, adding that the hands-on activities in the shop were a highlight of her day.

Students take on a structure building challenge during the creative arts activities.

Hailey Latkolik, another incoming student, echoed that excitement. “I’m excited to make new friends, and I’m glad today I got to meet a lot of people and do fun things, and make cookies,” she said. She also enjoyed the chance to learn something new through the day’s activities.

Students learn to portion cookie dough during the food school session.

Aryan Gupta said the two days left him feeling positive about the year ahead. “Most of the teachers I’ve seen are actually really, really nice. I think it’s going to be a good year,” he said. Like his classmates, Aryan said making new friends is what he is most looking forward to.

Students move a hoop along the line without letting go of one another’s hands.

Programs like IGNITE! reflect the HDSB’s commitment to student well-being and a smooth transition into secondary school, helping incoming students build early connections with peers and staff before the demands of the school year begin. For the Grade 9 students at Craig Kielburger SS, the two days offered exactly that: a head start on feeling at home in their new school.