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BRidge Day at Iroquois Ridge H.S. helps ease anxiety continued from p.14 Martin and Tanisha shared their inspiring stories of community and urged the Grade 8s to help others during their jump from elementary to high school. The message was clear, whether it's fighting bullying in your school, changing local poverty, or combating world hunger, the Grade 8s have the ability to change the world around them. After a snack break, visiting students moved on to their workshop. This part of the day was titled "Believe!" Workshops included a session with Danielle's Place to learn about positive body image, a session with IRHS Red Cross group on being yourself, a session with SAVIS Halton called "Be A Man" and a session with Ridge alumni Cheryl Joseph about authoring your own high school experience. During lunch, the visitors got a taste of music at the Ridge as IRHS students played live music, opening with Wi-Fi Down, a new and hot student band of Grade 9 students who have had lots of success playing for school events. The second workshop session, titled "Beyond!" included an Extracurricular School Survival Guide, a session with the Canadian Cancer Society on Leadership, a workshop with the United Way called "Lifeline", a "More than 40" workshop, and a workshop run by the IRHS Athletic Council on healthy and active living. The final workshop, called "Balance!", saw every student attend a High School 101 workshop where a panel of IRHS students shared their stories, experiences, and knowledge on all of the most important aspects of the transition to high school. They advised their younger peers through anecdotal prose about time management and stress relief, how to excel academically, where to get support, volunteering and extracurriculars and how to balance all of this with a social life. Students also had a chance to ask questions before the closing session. The Student Voice Co-Chairs, Emily Chu and Wendy Dong, delivered closing remarks, and thank yous to all. The IRHS CommCo Team, who had worked throughout the day, gave the Grade 8s a send-off in the form of an amazing video. Students saw themselves participating in workshops, playing games and exploring the school. I caught up with a couple of the visitors to see what they thought about the day. Teachers looked forward to their students feeling more comfortable and excited about high school. Students agreed that even though they were still nervous, they were a little less worried about high starting school in the fall. Others were excited to get involved in some of the extracurriculars at the school. While others were in awe at the school's size. "It seems like a really awesome school. I can't wait. This is definitely going to be my pick," said Will Sauro. The conference aimed to invite, entertain, and teach more than 300 Grade 8s about Iroquois Ridge, and what they could expect of their high school experience. The Ridge delivered with enthusiasm, preparedness, and heart. The day's experiences were invaluable, but the job is not over yet, IRHS will continue to welcome new students next school year. As Ms. Ansett said, "Our Ridge family has got new members, we are excited to make them feel welcome!" -- submitted by Alessia Collia Co-Editor-in-Chief of Ridge Report 15 | Friday, May 27, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com everything you need to know about your Free Informational Health Session Featured Speaker: Dr. Sebastian Guarnaccia thyroid As a result of his commitment and dedication for the past 19 years, Dr Guarnaccia has enhanced the quality of 100's of individuals' lives and alleviated their chronic conditions naturally. Location Glen Abbey Community Centre 1415 Third Line (Third Line and Upper Middle) Date Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 Time 7:00 PM Seating is limited. Reserve your seat today! Please call 905-825-9529