December 2017

The Board of Edmonton Catholic Schools welcomes the announcement last month by the Government of Alberta for a new K-6 Catholic elementary school in the rapidly growing neighbourhood of Orchards at Ellerslie in Ward 77! In addition, the design work will start on a new high school completion centre to be built in Lewis farms. This innovative project is a partnership with the City of Edmonton Recreation Centre and the Edmonton Public Library, similar to the successful Cardinal Collins High School Academic Centre in the Clareview Recreation Centre.

At the November 28, 2017 Public meeting, the Board received a year in review called the 2016-2017 Annual Education Report Results (AERR) and Three-Year Education Plan 2017-2020. The combined report looks back at the many accomplishments that were achieved during 2016-2017, and the Three-Year Plan looks forward to on-going academic growth in Edmonton Catholic Schools. Highlights of the report include:

• All elementary teachers received training to support implementation of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), which is a social emotional learning program for students in Kindergarten to Grade 6.

• We are proud that our three-year high school completion rate is up this year to 84.5%, more than 6% higher than the provincial average.

• The Accountability Pillar for this year is the best result from the province that we have had in the past five years.

In addition, our District continues to grow with the opening of five new schools this past September and the re-opening of St. Margaret School, which is a Centre for Diverse Learning, bringing our total number of schools to 96 and the number of children served to over 42,500.

The Provincial Achievement Test (PATs) and Diploma Examination results for 2016-2017 were presented at the November Board meeting. Our District’s Grade 6 and 9 PAT results show that we are exceeding the Province in 12 out of the 14 standards. Our Diploma Exam results show consistent, exceptional performance in many subject areas. With high student achievement, as reflected in both these achievement tests, and stellar results from the Accountability Pillar, we were offered a glimpse of a bright future for our District. The results of these reports show a deep commitment by the ECSD staff in providing an excellent Catholic educational experience to our students and families. I want to thank all staff for their hard work and dedication!

With the Christmas season upon us, I want to convey a special Christmas blessing and pray everyone has a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. May the peace and joy of this holiday season be with you, your families, and your friends.

We all have an important role to play in the success of our students. I encourage open communication and welcome your input on educational matters. You can reach me at 780 231-6312 or laura.thibert@ecsd.net You can also connect with me on Facebook and Twitter @Laura Thibert.

As printed in the Mill Woods Mosaic Newspaper