After some five years at the helm of the program, communications media teacher at Holy Rosary, Skye Ferguson says the school has brought in 18 medals along with several banners from Skills Canada.
When asked about the Holy Rosary secret, Ferguson says, “It’s how can you have the biggest impact.”
This year the LCSD high school brought back three gold medals making them the best in Canada in photography and video production.
Also topping the nation is Lakeland College’s Tyler Bendfeld in carpentry and at Lloydminster Comprehensive, LPSD students scored silver and a fourth place finish.
Ferguson explains that in photography, Brynt Belizar had to submit 11 photos over two days of contest.
“It was six photos on one day and five photos on the next day. And then for the videography kids they had two videos. The first day – they had seven hours to produce a video between one minute to one minute and thirty. They had the topic ahead of time, so we got to plan that out. Day two they had four hours to produce a 45-second video which they did not know the topic of.”
Ferguson adds the topic that was handed down was ‘Something is missing and everything keeps going wrong – what’s happening.’ She notes this is a vague topic, but one which allows them to use all the skills that they rehearsed.
She says the competition was close and they won by one point. For Belizar who won bronze last year, Ferguson says he came back and put in the work, while for the video team, it was their third try on the national stage.
He says his teacher challenges them to bring out the best in themselves.
“I think it just goes to show in photography and videography – just how amazing Ferguson’s programs are in the school and how hard she works and how much passion she puts into her work and into us.”
Manaloto says his future plan is to open a video production service. The grade 12 student will be doing wedding videos over the summer and also video production with the CPCA chuckwagon races.