Education
You can propose the name for a new Catholic Middle School to be built in Kentwood
From Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools
New middle school will be located in Kentwood
This past fall, the provincial government announced that Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) would be receiving a new middle school (Grade 6-9) with design funding.
We were grateful for this announcement, as our school division is in desperate need for this school. Currently, our middle schools in Red Deer are over capacity, with St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School being the highest at 137% utilization rate.
The division is seeing continued growth each school year. As of October 2019, the school division grew to over 10,480 students. This is an increase of 162 students, which equates to 1.7% growth.
The Board of Trustees and Senior Administration have been working with the City of Red Deer to determine a school site in Kentwood. The school will be located in Kingsgate (just north of Kingstone Drive).
“We are pleased to have secured a site for this new middle school and look forward to quickly moving into the design process, once the government has informed us of that budget. It is important to finalize the name of the school, as that will help inform the design work,” said Board Chair, Anne Marie Watson at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.
RDCRS is now looking for feedback from students, parents and the community for a school name. You can submit your name at http://tiny.cc/78gdmz
When naming, we are asking individuals to please follow these guidelines:
● The name should be a role model for staff
● Canonized saints are acceptable
● Use of Christ’s mysteries is acceptable (eg. “Our Lady of..”)
● Angels are acceptable
● A historical faith-focused person is acceptable if a significant time period has elapsed since they have passed away.
The Board of Trustees will make the final selection of the name for the new middle school based on feedback. The deadline for submission is Thursday, April 30.
Red Deer
St. Joseph High School Celebrates Brody Andrie’s National Boxing Championship Victory
News release from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools
St. Joseph High School (SJHS) is thrilled to announce that Grade 12 student Brody Andrie has been crowned the National Champion in the 57 KG youth division at the prestigious Canada Cup & Junior Youth Canadian Championships. The championships were held at the Genesis Centre in Calgary from March 20 to March 24, 2024.
Brody, a dedicated member of Team Alberta and a fierce competitor from the Shadow Box Boxing Club in Lacombe, has achieved a remarkable milestone by winning gold in his division. This victory not only highlights his outstanding skills and dedication to the sport of boxing but also marks him as the first central Alberta boxer to be crowned a national champion in decades.
Reflecting on his victory, Brody shared, “This win is not just for me but for everyone who has supported me along the way. I’m proud to bring this championship back to Lacombe and hope to inspire other young athletes in our community.”
SJHS Principal, Gary Gylander, expressed his admiration for Brody’s achievement, stating, “Brody’s success is a testament to his hard work, perseverance, and the support of his coaches and community. We are incredibly proud of him and look forward to seeing what the future holds for this outstanding young athlete.”
This is a historic moment for both Brody and central Alberta, shining a spotlight on the talent and potential within our community.
Education
Higher spending on K-12 education does not result in better student outcomes
From the Fraser Institute
By Derek J. Allison
Higher levels of per-student spending do not achieve higher student scores on standardized tests, either internationally or among the provinces, finds a new report published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Just spending more on K-12 education does not lead to better student outcomes,” said Derek J. Allison, Fraser Institute senior fellow and author of School Spending and Performance in Canada and Other High-Income Countries.
The study compares provincial per-student spending on K-12 education in 2018 (the last year of comparable data) to other high-income countries in the OECD and to performance on the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
It finds that higher per-student spending levels are not associated with stronger academic achievement. In fact, in 2018, 10 countries—or one third—of the high income OECD countries included in the analysis spent more per student than Canada but achieved significantly lower PISA scores.
Similarly, among the provinces, Saskatchewan was the highest per-student spender among the provinces but ranked 8th out of 10 on PISA scores. Manitoba was the second-highest per-student spender and recorded the lowest PISA scores nationwide. Conversely, British Columbia was the lowest spender per student in Canada and achieved the fourth-highest PISA scores.
“The evidence is clear—simply spending more on established K-12 schools without finding new and better ways to help kids learn will not improve student outcomes,” Allison said.
Provincial per-student spending (2018) compared to core PISA score
Province Spending Core PISA score
Saskatchewan Highest spender 8th
Manitoba 2nd Lowest PISA score
Alberta 3rd Highest PISA score
Nova Scotia 4th 5th
Ontario 5th 3rd
New Brunswick 6th 9th
Quebec 7th 2nd
P.E.I. 8th 7th
Newfoundland and Labrador 9th 6th
British Columbia Lowest spender 4th
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