Due to ongoing storm response, the May 20 event has been cancelled. Details here
Mrs. McKenzie’s Grade Nine health class at St. Michael School in Weyburn is focusing on setting goals for personal growth. They’re given 10 topics for their goals journals, with their choice of completing six, including tackling obstacles and building leadership skills.
Barrett Scrupps said he works on his leadership skills wherever he goes.
“At school I try to be like the greatest classmate and student I can be by helping other students when they’re in need or they ask for my help. Or like it goes to like even basketball where I’ll help one of the newer guys on the team with skills. I just try to be the best possible human I can be on and in school, out of school, like wherever I go.”
He shared on his goal of modeling after someone he admires.
“I chose to write about a leader, a celebrity, and I get to choose traits that he has and then I write about it – traits that I want to have myself. So I chose a professional basketball player, Kawhi Leonard. He’s quiet, he doesn’t like to talk much but when he does he expresses himself and always gets to the point. He shows everyone how to do things right and properly.”
Scrupps said he has other goals related to his athleticism and taking on new challenges and being open to try new things.
Ethan Thiedig's personal development goals focus on academic success and self-regulation.
"A goal for me is just getting through the school year because I like school but I'm more of a social person," he shared. "I try my best, obviously, but my main goal is to get through school. One way I can like pursue that goal is just try to sit on my own and work on my own. I've noticed before, when I get moved, I do work better when I'm not around my friends."
He said focused breathing helps him to stop himself from chatting too much when it's not appropriate to do so.
"Have a goal you always are trying to achieve. No goal is ever impossible."
Jacob Vilcu said his goals are focused on his organizational habits, leadership, and communication, and he shared his interpersonal philosophy.
"Some goals I've set for myself for 2026 were to be more organized per se, and if I put all my stuff in one spot, it'll stay in that spot. Even my parents are always saying that."
He said he is quite extroverted and confident, and he enjoys public speaking and debate.
"If I hear something that I disagree with, I'll definitely say something. I will speak my mind, and I'm very honest and bold. I don't really like sweet-coating things," noted Vilcu.
He said he hopes to use his boldness to help others be themselves.
"If someone's down, you always want to comfort them and then maybe once they're ready, tell them the truth. Okay. If you let everything get to you in life, then then you're always going to be down. There might be some people that um bring you down but that means they're just jealous of you. You just have to be yourself and then the right people will come to you."
Christian Delacruz said he'll be focusing on helping others and developing his leadership skills.
"My goal for other people around me is that I want people to feel okay and I don't want them to feel down, especially when they say that they're okay and they can handle it. They can't. They need someone that can support them, especially giving advice on what they need," he shared.
He said he also wants to be more capable of giving the proper advice, and to help resolve conflicts that could negatively influence them.
"Another personal growth of mine is that I want to set up some strategy on how I can fixate on my plans because I always change them a lot and I don't like being scrambled all up and like around everywhere. I want to be a psychologist, an architect, or a politician, and I don't really know how I can cope with that because they're the three biggest dreams I always want to have but you always gotta pick one part that can change your future, and your one choice is what you get through life."
Delacruz said he is also keenly interested in psychology as well as debate. He added that he has a deep sense of empathy, and he wants to be able to encourage others to be kind towards themselves and others, and to be themselves so they can stay on the right path.