St. David and St. Agnes Students Shine at 2025 Ontario Skills Competition
Students from St. David and St. Agnes Catholic Elementary Schools made their mark at the 2025 Ontario Skills Competition, held on May 5 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Representing their schools with talent and determination, both teams earned accolades for their innovative projects in one of Canada’s premier youth competitions.
The Ontario Skills Competition is one of the country’s largest celebrations of student achievement in skilled trades, technology, healthcare, creative arts, and more. Drawing thousands of participants from across the province, the competition provides a platform for students to showcase their skills in over 70 categories. Among these, robotics remains a standout event, challenging students to apply coding, engineering, and design skills in real-time scenarios.
St. David’s team, competing in the Lego Robotics category for Grades 4–6, impressed judges with a sophisticated robot that met the competition’s focus on sensor integration and adaptive programming. The robot featured a colour-sensitive arm programmed to detect specific hues, trigger corresponding audio responses, and autonomously transport objects. Their strong performance earned them a 4th place finish provincially, with judges praising the team’s creativity and technical execution.
In the Lego Mechanical Engineering category, also for Grades 4–6, St. Agnes’s team rose to the challenge of designing a double-leaf bridge. The project required structural integrity, functional lifting mechanisms, and aesthetic balance. Their final product scored high in both mechanical efficiency and creative problem-solving, earning them a commendable 7th place finish.
These achievements were made possible through the dedicated guidance of teacher mentors Ryan Hunt and Patrick Sheehan, along with Experiential Learning Consultant John Ivkovic’s support through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.
“Your guidance, rooted in the Catholic values of community, service, and nurturing God-given talents, has helped these young minds grow not only as skilled learners but as compassionate stewards of their gifts,” said Evelin Niemiec, Student Achievement Consultant K-8. “Their achievements reflect the vibrant spirit of faith and excellence that defines our Catholic school community.
