It's an opportunity for kids to see what their parents' livelihood entails. Or, as one parent found out, what they think their parents' work entails.Take Our Kids to Work day was November 7, and Grade 9 students from Humboldt Collegiate Institute (HCI) participated in the program that aims to offer students a view of the work world and to give them an understanding of its demands and opportunities.HCI vice-principal Kelly Langill coordinated the day for the 84 students who went to places where a parent, relative or friend works. Some, he said, went to a jobsite where work began at 5 a.m. There were those who went to the mines, others that sat in the cab of a long-haul truck, and some who were secretaries for a day. "Basically the kids are doing what they can - be it manual labour or answering telephones - that is allowed at the workplace," Langill said.One of the popular choices among Grade 9s is going to a school, and this year, Humboldt Public School (HPS) had four students for the day. HPS principal Dave Hill had his own sons at the school with him."It was the first time for me, bringing my kids to school," Hill said. "I think it's a great program and that we can help out."Hill said two other teachers had brought their children to school for the day as well as his two sons. Both his sons had chosen to shadow teachers for the day, instead of going with their father, because - as Hill said with a laugh -"they didn't want to sit through boring meetings all day." His son, Spencer, he says, is interested in being a Phys Ed teacher and spent the day with Clayton Parobec, who also teaches Grade 8 at the school. Hill's other son, Vance, chose to go into a Grade 5 class and shadowed teacher Pauline Fontaine for the day."It's interesting," he said, "because they're coming back as a Grade 9 student to a school where they went until Grade 8, so sometimes they're only a year older than the kids whose class they're in. But basically, the teachers try to give them a taste of what a real live day of a teacher would be."Hill says he thinks it comes at a good time for Grade 9 students who have already had three years of exploring different opportunities in career education which begins in Grade 6 in the Saskatchewan school system."This is an opportunity for them to actually get out and see something they might be interested in doing in the future," he remarked. "I think they get a nice taste, and for those coming here, they get to look at school from a different perspective."Schools (as a workplace) are a different situation, Hill feels. Kids are all familiar with school because they're still attending school, as opposed to children that may go to a mine or to work in a store.At the end of the day, Hill said he planned to get the four students together and have a chat with them about how their day went, and in general, he said he finds the high school does a good job of preparing them for the day.
