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by John Bkila Garth Webb S.S. knows how to welcome students more standard types, such as maple oak, walnut and cherry. "It's very colourful. And there's no staining at all on the sign -- just clear coated. All the bright colours are from the different species of wood we used," said White. "It's definitely symbolic of the diversity of the school, and I think it's what makes it so special." The text sizes for each variation of 'Welcome' reflect that particular ethnicity's population at Garth Webb and the Oakville community at large, noted White. The languages include English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Hebrew, Albanian, Farsi, Korean, Mandarin and Hindi, to name a few. "The hope behind the sign is that everyone feels welcome when they walk into our school," said Scott, who is now in Grade 11. "No matter what their background, we want everyone to feel accepted and represented." A poppy and bull's head are found in the corners, the former representing the school's namesake, local veteran Garth Webb, and the latter symbolic of its mascot, the Chargers. The names of the six students involved in its creation are also engraved at the bottom. "I'm just so proud of these kids and the work they've done for their school," said White. "It's truly a legacy these students will leave behind. And when they come back for their high school reunion, they can tell their children, `I made that.'" 9 | Thursday, September 18, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Oakville Beaver Staff Bienvenido. Willkommen. Selamat Datang. Bienvenue. That's just a few of the 30 ways Garth Webb Secondary School says "welcome." There's a new sign at the northwest Oakville high school that greets students and visitors in 30 different languages, reflective of the school's and community's diverse cultural makeup. The 48-inch by 96-inch wooden `Welcome' sign is the brainchild of Garth Webb's students, says Sharon Lauzon, who works in the Student Services and English departments and heads the school's Safe and Inclusive Schools Committee. "It came from our student voice forum where our students said they wanted something representative of the school and were looking for ways that could be achieved," said Lauzon. "Taking that information, our Safe and Inclusive Schools Committee decided on a welcome sign that would reflect the population of Garth Webb in the languages that are spoken." Lauzon then took it to Technology and Business Department Head Paul White to oversee the construction of the sign. "The thought at first was to create a painted sign, but I figured using different types of wood was a better way to reflect the different cultures in our community," he said. The technical design teacher asked six Grade 10 students in his split Grade 10/11 class to take Garth Webb Secondary School students spent time over the summer to make a `Welcome' sign that includes the 30 languages all spoken by students at the school. From left, are: Grade 12 students Aidan Scott and Fouad Raouf-AlKadhimi, Safe and Inclusive Schools Committee faculty head Sharon Lauzon, Technology and Business Department head Paul White, and Grade 12 students Taylor Wood and Bita Houdeh. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver on the project, including Aidan Scott, Taylor Wood, Fouad Raouf Alkadhimi, Bita Houdeh, Andrei Baderca and Brody Robertson. They began in late May and wrapped up during summer holidays in July to complete the project in time for September. Those who volunteered earned approximately 30 hours towards their graduation requirement. Using computer software called ArtCam (Computer Assisted Manufacturing) and a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) router, the youths cut and engraved or embossed the letters and characters to create the word "Welcome" in the different languages. "It was a teamwork project that gave them the chance to learn how to co-ordinate and appreciate working together towards accomplishing a common goal," said White. The backing of the sign is a full sheet of furniture-grade plywood, while the various versions of `Welcome' are made from approximately a dozen different species of wood, including colourful, exotic pieces such as purple heart, zebra and blood wood, as well as Dr. Steven Solomon and Dr. Jonathan Kazdan want to welcome Dr. Hannah Kashyap as their new associate. Canadian educated from McGill University, Dr. Kashyap completed a residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto. Dr. Kashyap speaks English, French, German, Spanish & Portuguese. Dr. Steven Solomon, Dr. Hannah Kashyap Dr. Jonathan Kazdan We are delighted to announce that we are celebrating 20+ years in Oakville. Enhance Your Smile at Dr. Kashyap welcomes new patients, families and children of all ages. www.dentistoakville.com · 905-842-6030 Convenient Hours! Open Evenings & Saturdays! Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8am-9pm, Fri. 8am-3pm, Sat. 8am-4pm We Welcome New Patients And Emergencies