Pembina Hills students showcase talents at Provincial and National Skills Competitions

June 18th, 2024

Pictured above: Left – RFS Student Paige Tymko with the Alberta Flag and the Silver Medal she earned at the Skills Canada Nationals competition.

Talented students from Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) and R.F. Staples Secondary School (RFS) demonstrated exceptional skills, dedication and perseverance at the Skills Alberta Provincial and Skills Canada National Competitions last month.

To qualify for the Skills Alberta Provincial Competition, students in most categories had to excel in their respective Regional Competitions. Some categories had direct entry. These students worked diligently during the two-day competition, representing their school and division admirably.

From RFS:

Maddie Kolotyluk – Carpentry (1st place in Regionals)
Josef Pidsadowski – Carpentry – placed 6th at Provincials (2nd place in Regionals)
Charles Gardon – Auto Mechanics – placed 10th at Provincials (2nd place in Regionals)
Adam Moscaluk – Auto Mechanics – placed 13th at Provincials (4th place in Regionals)
Paige Tymko – Senior Hairstyling – placed 1st at Provincials (Direct Entry)
Steven Harris – Graphic Design – placed 11th at Provincials (Direct Entry)
Ashley Dranchuk – Photography – placed 16th at Provincials (Direct Entry)

From BCHS:

Mike Knol for Riley Manz – Auto Mechanics (3rd place in Regionals)

Unfortunately, Maddie Kolotyluk suffered an injury to her thumb and had to withdraw from the competition to prevent further damage.

First-Year Competitors Gain Valuable Experience

For some of our students, this year’s competitions were their first experience at these levels. BCHS Mechanics Teacher Ryan Siemens comments, “It was a good time at skills. We knew that this being the first year, we would be there mostly for the experience of competing. Riley was supposed to compete on behalf of BCHS, but he fell ill the morning of the competition. Thankfully, they let Mike Knol stand in for him, but they didn’t grade his skills as he wasn’t the registered competitor. He did, however, manage to win the safety award for Automobile Technology, which was pretty exciting.”

Learning and Looking Forward

RFS Mechanics Teacher Aaron Deas expressed pride in his students’ performances, “My two students had a great time taking in the experience. Being surrounded by some of the top instructors and students from across Alberta is an experience they will never forget. The boys went in well-prepared and were able to complete all seven of the competition areas with confidence. They didn’t podium this year, but at the Provincial level, the difference can be missing out on just a few points. We are already looking forward to taking what we learned this year and focusing it towards our effort next time out. I am very proud of our two competitors!”

National Success in Quebec City

A big congratulations to RFS student, Paige Tymko, who earned a Silver Medal, representing Team Alberta at the National Skills Competition that took place in Quebec City from May 29-31, 2024. Paige earned the Gold Medal in Senior Hairstyling at the Provincial competition, qualifying her to compete at the national level.

During the two-day national competition, Paige had to complete four rigorous tests:

Day 1: Men’s Chemical Texture Service and Haircut with wishes (2 hours and 45 minutes), and a Bridal Upstyle with a social media element (1 hour and 45 minutes)
Day 2: Woman’s Commercial Cut and Color with wishes (3 hours) and a replication of a men’s cut without using clippers (1 hour and 30 minutes)

Pictured above: RFS Student Paige Tymko competing at Skills Canada Nationals Competition. Photos courtesy of RFS Teacher Jenicka Langford.

Honouring Our Dedicated Teacher-Coaches

The success of our students would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication and support of our teacher coaches. Preparing for such a high level of competition often involves countless hours of practice. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to RFS teachers Jenicka Langford – Senior Hairstyling, Kevin MacKenzie – Carpentry, Aaron Deas – Auto Mechanics, Veronica Scallion – Media Arts and BCHS Teacher Ryan Siemens – Auto Mechanics. Their commitment to our students’ success is truly commendable.

Congratulations to all our students, teachers, and supporters! We celebrate their talents, hard work, dedication and success and we look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future. You have made your school, school division and community proud!

RFS Students pictured below, courtesy of RFS Teacher Veronica Scallion.