“High school has shown us who we are and how we can take forward what we’ve learned and apply it to whatever we encounter in the future.”

Lindsay Thurber Valedictorian credits his time in French Immersion for success

Striving for excellence and continuously pushing himself to be his best version has landed Lindsay Thurber graduate Samuel Bakker the title of Valedictorian for the Class of 2023.

Samuel, who was given the news earlier this month, said it was an extremely exciting moment.

“I knew I was in the running for it, but I wasn’t sure if I had gotten it. I was able to keep myself composed when I was told, but I did a little happy dance after,” he said. “This year, the Valedictorian race was extremely close and all of the students in the running are all exceptional people who deserve this just as much as I do, but it is an honour to represent our class.”

Samuel, who has been in the French Immersion program at Red Deer Public Schools since Kindergarten, said the program has afforded him some great opportunities.

“The main thing that led my parents to register my sister and I in the French Immersion program was because it was something that was a little bit more challenging, and a program we might find a little more engaging,” he said, adding he recognizes it may open more opportunities in his future. “Overtime we learned the value of it, and what I have enjoyed the most is the sense of community we have with the people we’ve gone through the program with. It’s been nice to have a core group of people to go through my schooling with.”

A highlight of high school for Samuel has been the opportunity to be part of the school’s Student Council.

“I’ve loved the work I’ve gotten to do with the Student Council. I run our community division so I’ve gotten to do lots of charitable drives and fundraising,” he said. “We’ve been able to do so many wonderful things with the resources of the school behind us.”

As for plans after high school, Samuel will be heading to the University of British Columbia to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree. “I’m not sure yet what I will minor or major in, but I would like to do graduate school of some kind,” he said.

As part of his role as Valedictorian, Samuel will address his fellow graduates on May 25 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre during the school’s graduation ceremonies.

“The overarching theme of my speech is how we’ve been through the journey of high school together and are now heading off on our own adventures,” he said. “High school has shown us who we are and how we can take forward what we’ve learned and apply it to whatever we encounter in the future.”

As the Lindsay Thurber graduation is right around the corner on May 25, Samuel said he is looking most forward to the ceremony.

“I am really looking forward to walking across the stage, getting my diploma and being there with my family.”

Chris Good, Principal at Lindsay Thurber, said being named valedictorian is a testament to the hard work and dedication that Samuel has shown during his time at the school.

“He has earned this distinction through resilience and commitment to his course work. In addition to his academic achievements, Samuel also makes our school a better place to be through his work with student leadership,” he said. “I look forward to hearing his address to our graduating class.”

Class of 2023 gear up for graduation ceremonies

Grade 12 is an exciting and pivotal year for our students, which ends with the ultimate celebration of achievement – graduation! It’s a milestone in a young adult’s life – dressing in the cap and gown, walking across that stage, and celebrating with staff, classmates, family and friends. Our Grade 12 students look forward to their graduation all year and as educators, it gives us such great pride to celebrate this accomplishment together with our students.

Graduation celebrations for each high school will be as follows:

Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School – Thursday, May 25, 2023
- Two ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre
Hunting Hills High School – Friday, May 26, 2023
- Two ceremonies at 10 a.m and 12:30 p.m. at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre
Pines Alternative School Centre and North Cottage – Friday, June 23, 2023
- One ceremony at 1 p.m. at Pines Alternative School
Gateway Christian – Thursday, June 29, 2023
- One ceremony at 3:30 p.m. at New Life Fellowship Church

“We recognize that graduation is an important milestone in a young adult’s life. It’s a milestone that is meaningful for our students and also for their families and friends as well,” said Chad Erickson, Superintendent of Schools. “Graduation is not only a celebration of the hard work and dedication of students, but the start of the next chapter in their lives. We know our students will move on to do great things, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”

“We are very excited that we will be able to celebrate the dedication and achievement of our students at this year’s graduation event,” said Darwin Roscoe, Principal at Hunting Hills High School. “These students have demonstrated the extreme resilience and commitment necessary to reach this milestone. Over the last couple of years, the feedback we heard from our parents and graduates was that they enjoyed the staggered ceremony times, so this year we are doing the same while keeping the great things our students, parents and staff value most in graduation.”

“The thought of reaching graduation in a few short days is incredibly exciting, and simultaneously surreal. For as long as I can remember, high school graduation has been the biggest, most thrilling milestone to reach, making the decision to join the 2023 Graduation Executive Committee a no-brainer,” said Marin Walton, a graduating student from Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School. “Through grad exec, we have been able to give back, and provide a memorable senior year for all of the graduates that unfortunately missed out on a majority of the ‘normal’ high school experience. Hopefully, through our various events including multiple spirit days, bowling night, wakefest, and the grad fashion show, we as a committee were able to reinstate the excitement surrounding graduation, despite our unorthodox four years that seem to have passed in the blink of an eye.”

“We are so incredibly proud of our graduates who have persevered, reached this incredible milestone, and are ready to take this new and exciting next step in their lives,” said Stephen Pottage, District Principal – Alternative Programs and Support Services. “Congrats to all of Red Deer’s graduates and their families.”

“What a privilege to see this group of kids successfully reach the milestone of graduation. I am so proud of each of them,” said Karen Wiebe, a parent of a graduating student at Gateway Christian School. “This is made all the more special to me as a Gateway parent because of the rich community developed amongst students, parents and staff in what feels like a small town school. I am truly excited for what is yet to come for this amazing class as they step out into the next chapter of their lives.”

Red Deer Public looks forward to celebrating the achievements of our graduating students over the coming months.

Related Topics:#Grad2023 #LindsayThurberComprehensiveHighSchool #LTCHSGrad #ValedictorianSamuelBakker feature

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40 Canadian professors urge Trudeau government to abolish DEI mandates

Published on July 1, 2024

Todayville

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

“Many agree with us – including senior, tenured faculty – but will not speak publicly for fear of repercussions”

Dozens of Canadian professors have joined together to call for an end to the pro-LGBT diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates in universities.

In a May 24 letter to Parliament, 40 Canadian university professors appealed to Prime Minster Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to abandon DEI initiatives in universities, arguing they are both ineffective and harmful to Canadians.

“While some may view this as a weakness, we hope most will see it simply as an act of conscience from academics no longer able to remain silent,” the professors began.

“These policies disproportionately punish small institutions, are not supported by evidence, employ flawed metrics with no end goal, and are unpopular with the public who funds the research,” the letter explained.

“Many agree with us – including senior, tenured faculty – but will not speak publicly for fear of repercussions,” the letter revealed. “Specifically, they are scared even to question Tri-Council policies relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).”

Currently, DEI quotas are mandated across Canada through the Canada Research Chairs program. Under the program, universities must meet specific hiring requirements, skewed in favor of racial minorities and those who identify as “LGBT.”

The letter cited various studies which revealed that the DEI mandates not only harm universities but lead to more discrimination.

The professors referenced a case at Laurier University in Ontario where the institution sought to hire six black and six indigenous faculty.

“During the process, an informal outside inquiry made on behalf of a promising black candidate had to be rebuffed because black people were ineligible,” the letter explained. “This open racial discrimination in the name of fighting systemic racism is one concrete example of negative impacts of EDI.”

Similarly, a February research report from Wilfrid Laurier University social scientist David Millard Haskell, a signatory of the letter, found that there is “no evidence that EDI reduces bias or alters behavior.”

“In fact, DEI interventions have been shown to do harm by increasing prejudice and activating bigotry,” the letter declared.

The professor’s recommendation comes as Trudeau recently pledged $110 million of taxpayer money to hire DEI consultants tasked with looking into a supposed problem of “racism” in Canada.

Indeed, the Trudeau government has spent over $30 million on DEI-affiliated contracts among many federal ministries since January 2019.

This has led to an increase in woke ideology creeping into all parts of society. As LifeSiteNews reported recently, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus posted an opening for a research chair position that essentially barred non-homosexual white men from applying for the job.

Signatories:

Geoff Horsman, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University

David Haskell, PhD
Associate Professor of Digital Media & Journalism, and Religion & Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University

Zachary Patterson, PhD
Professor, Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering, Concordia University

Stephen Lupker, PhD
Professor of Psychology, Western University

Lawrence M. Krauss, PhD
President, The Origins Project Foundation
Foundation Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, retired

Kirsten Kramar, PhD
Mount Royal University

Stephen Quilley, PhD
Associate Professor of Social and Environmental Innovation, University of Waterloo

Scott Davies, PhD
Professor of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, University of Toronto

Edward Vrscay, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo

Martin Drapeau, PhD
Professor of Counselling Psychology and Psychiatry, McGill University

Frances Widdowson, PhD
Political Science professor

Brian F. Smith, PhD
Professor of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

Christopher Dummitt, PhD
Professor of Canadian Studies, Trent University

Altay Coskun, PhD
Professor of Classical Studies, University of Waterloo

Ron Thomson, PhD
Professor and Chair of Applied Linguistics, Brock University

Chet Robie, PhD
Professor of Organizational Behaviour & Human Resource Management, Wilfrid Laurier University

Mark Collard, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Human Evolutionary Studies and Professor of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University

Janice Fiamengo, PhD
Professor of English, University of Ottawa, retired

Philip Carl Salzman, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, McGill University

Laurence Klotz, CM, MD, FRCSC
Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto
Sunnybrook Chair of Prostate Cancer Research
Chair, Council for Academic Freedom at University of Toronto (CAFUT)
Member, Order of Canada
Division of Urology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Brad Fedy, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo

Scott Smith, PhD
Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University

Henry Wolkowicz, PhD
Professor of Combinatorics and Optimization, University of Waterloo

Gail S. K. Wolkowicz, PhD
Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, McMaster University

François Charbonneau, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa

Rima Azar, PhD
Associate Professor of Health Psychology, Mount Allison University

Douglas W. Allen, PhD
Burnaby Mountain Professor, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University

Rachel Altman, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University

Alexandra Lysova, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University

Richard Frank, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University

John Craig, PhD
Professor, Department of History, Simon Fraser University

Dennis Sandgathe, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University

Mike Hart, PhD
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University

William McNally, PhD
Professor of Finance, Wilfrid Laurier University

Yannick Lacroix, PhD
Professor of Philosophy, Collège de Maisonneuve

Julie Guyot, PhD
Professor of History, Cégep Édouard-Montpetit

Leigh Revers, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences, Institute of Management for Innovation, University of Toronto

Rob Whitley, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, McGill University

François Caron
Professor of Chemistry, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston
Emeritus Professor, Laurentian University

Alberta

Alberta government’s new smartphone restrictions won’t eliminate digital distraction in classrooms

Published on June 24, 2024

Duane Rolheiser

From the Fraser Institute

By Paige MacPherson and Tegan Hill

Research has shown that simply having a smartphone nearby is enough to distract students from completing a task, and that it takes students 20 minutes to regain focus on learning after being distracted. And when schools removed smartphones from the classroom in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain, learning outcomes improved, especially for underperforming kids.

According to a new directive from the Smith government, beginning next September there will be restrictions on smartphones in Alberta schools. While the directive is light on details, one thing is clear—given mounting evidence that smartphone distraction can hinder academic performance, unless the province (or individual school authorities) ban smartphones in the classroom, students will continue to suffer the consequences.

Indeed, research has shown that simply having a smartphone nearby is enough to distract students from completing a task, and that it takes students 20 minutes to regain focus on learning after being distracted. And when schools removed smartphones from the classroom in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain, learning outcomes improved, especially for underperforming kids.

Moreover, the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report found a clear connection between smartphone distraction and declining student achievement, particularly in math. Specifically, 80 per cent of Canadian students report being distracted by the devices of other students in math class—and students who were distracted by smartphones in math class scored 15 points lower on PISA math tests than those who were not distracted. (PISA equates a 20-point drop in student test scores with one year of lost learning.)

Again, this is not just students distracted by their own devices, which are obvious attention-zappers for kids and teens. This is students distracted by the devices of other students. The research on digital distraction and its impact on student achievement makes clear that only a smartphone ban—with very few exceptions—will save kids from digital distraction.

And notably, Alberta’s PISA math scores have fallen 45 points in the last two decades, from 2003 to 2022, which PISA equates with more than two years of lost learning, with the decline predating COVID school closures.

The empirical evidence against smartphones in schools is mounting. But it’s also common sense, and people understand. The Alberta government’s own survey revealed that 90 per cent of more than 68,000 respondents—including parents, teachers, students and principals—had concerns about phone use in schools. This is consistent with other public opinion research in Canada. One survey showed 80 per cent of Canadians support banning phones in public schools. Another found that 51 per cent of Albertans said that phones should be banned in K-12 classrooms, and another 40 per cent said they should not be allowed unless directed by a teacher.

In 2019, the Ontario government issued a similar directive restricting smartphones in K-12 schools, which was nearly pointless because the government left the specifics up to school boards (just like the Smith government is now leaving the specifics up to school authorities in Alberta). Without being able to point to an overarching policy, Ontario teachers said they spent too much time surveilling and nagging in class, and many stopped trying altogether.

In its directive, the Smith government indicated there will be exceptions not only for reasonable health and medical needs (e.g. blood sugar monitoring) but also for “learning needs, and for educational purposes.” To actually eliminate digital distraction in the classroom, the provincial education ministry must support school authorities, who must support principals, who must support teachers to help enforce an actual ban.

While we should be skeptical of reflexive government “bans” in general, smartphones clearly impede student learning and socialization in schools. Banning smartphones in K-12 public government schools is the right move. But a patchwork approach, which accommodates endless exemptions, won’t free Alberta classrooms from the negative effects of digital distraction.