Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Students shine at Job Skills Olympics

Holmen students Cody Smith,Ashley Jenkins, and Chantu Vue fold paper and stuff envelops while being timed during the Job Skills Olympics at Central High. Dick Riniker photo

By DAN SPRINGER | La Crosse Tribune

Justin Peck had no trouble picking his favorite event in Tuesday’s Job Skills Olympics hosted by the cognitive disabilities department at Central High School.

“I like pencil sharpening,” the De Soto, Wis., student said. “I like it, because I’m real fast at it.”

Peck easily won his heat but finished second overall in the event, which was one of six contests at the event, which grew from teams representing three schools last year to students from six schools.

Dawn Martin, who teaches at Central High School, said the event is a good way to help students master skills that will open employment opportunities when they leave high school.

The events included office skills such as collating and stapling, shredding documents and sharpening pencils. In the kitchen area, the students competed to see who could sort silverware quickest and in the laundry they raced to sort washcloths.

The final event, a team can-crushing relay, was tossed in as a fun way to end the event, Martin said.

For this year’s event, students from Onalaska, De Soto and Sparta joined teams from Central, Logan and Holmen who competed in last year’s inaugural event, Martin said.

With the expanded field came a traveling trophy — the golden crushed can — that went to Holmen, which beat Central by one point.

Although a trophy and ribbons were awarded, in reality, winning and losing didn’t matter much to the competitors, teachers or spectators. Just being involved in the fun and competition was enough.

Whether a competitor was the first to finish or it took a bit longer, each showed signs of excitement and satisfaction when they finished. And no one went home unhappy.

Sarah Woggon, who competed in two events for the Sparta team, said the event couldn’t have been more fun.

“I’m very proud of all of the other people here,” said Sarah Woggon of Sparta. “But I’m also very proud of myself.”

David Aponte, who also teaches at Central High School, said he and the other teachers are proud of all of the students for the way they competed, supported each other, worked as a team and, most of all, had a good time.

Many of the students learn skills through school, but are also placed with various businesses throughout the region and volunteers their time in the community. But, Martin said, they have so much more to offer if businesses look into the possibilities.

“We really need to get the community’s businesses to create these types of options for our young people after high school,” Martin said.

The event is expected to continue next year with the addition of at least two more schools, Martin said.

Dan Springer can be reached at dspringer@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8269.