Parents of students at St. Michael School were told about some pending changes for the junior high grades for the 2017-18 year, which will include a Grade 8-9 split for the first time, and the addition of a new hands-on lab that may include 3-D printing and laser cutters.
Principal Dean Loberg went through the changes, noting the primary challenge they are facing is the fact that a number of students are leaving St. Michael so Grade 9 numbers will be down significantly next year.
“With the reduced number of students, there will be less number of staff,” said Loberg, saying the loss will be approximately two classrooms worth of students at the junior high end, but there will be more students coming into the school on the elementary end.
Chad Fingler, superintendent of school operations for the Holy Family School Division, pointed out there will be no overall loss of staff, as staff are being reassigned elsewhere in the school or in the division. One of the effects is that Grade 7 teacher Steven Clarke will move to the elementary end to teach a Grade 4 class in the fall.
The Grade 8-9 split will be new for St. Michael, as Loberg noted there won’t be enough Grade 9 students to have a separate class for them.
“There are lots of feelings on both sides about a split class. We haven’t had to test that here at St. Michael. It will change a few things,” said Loberg.
The administration will try to view the junior high changes as “opportunities”, said Loberg, as he listed the teaching assignments for the fall. “We’re trying to improve St. Michael School and not get caught up in negative things. There are things we can’t control, but with these changes, we’re going to try and to make it a stronger school.”
One of the effects will be some extra space in the school, which will enable a Grade 6 class to move down to the junior high end, and for the school to set up a Makerspace deeper learning lab, which Loberg admits will have a significant price tag attached.
“There is a significant outlay at the front end for 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC routers,” he said, noting the lab “is about the space to do hands-on learning, and to fail without failing the class. We want to give the kids a safe space to do exploration. There will be a space where kids can take things apart to learn about how they work and are put together.”
Loberg said he and the division office are trying to figure out how the lab will be paid for in the school’s budget, and suggested one possibility may be to open the lab to the community on Saturdays, and charge a certain fee to come in and use the 3D printer or the other equipment.
The junior high grades will have practical and applied arts at all three grade levels, he explained, with Grade 7 students to have three periods of PAA a week, and Grades 8 and 9 to each have four periods a week, with the Grade 9 classes to have more freedom as to what projects they want to do in the deep learning lab.
A positive change for the junior high students also will be that students will no longer have to choose between band and art, but will be encouraged to take both, or can get further support with core subjects like English, science or life skills. In addition, other subjects like art, math and religion will be encouraged to make use of the deeper learning lab as well. Also in the area of electives, Grade 9 students will have the choice of either French or Native Studies.
Having a hands-on lab like this is admittedly not new, said Loberg. “Most of us grew up with IA (Industrial Arts) or some hands-on education like wood shop. Over the years IA has gone by the wayside, especially wood shops, so we’re bringing that back, and a lot of students who are good with mechanics and wood working will be engaged with this.”
This lab will go beyond the traditional IA lab, he added, as this one will get into such subjects as robotics and using new computerized technologies, requiring a proficiency in math, among other subjects.
“We’re going to continue growing the things we do well, such as our athletics,” said Loberg, adding there is also a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs for interests ranging from art to choir, concert and jazz band and robotics.
He also wants to encourage Grade 9 students to be taking a leadership role in the school, and the SRC will be renamed the Students Engagement Team (SET), and students will have a role in leading assemblies, visiting residents at Tatagwa View, going swimming with the Mini-Go kids, leading in Advent and Lent activities, Catholic Education Week, holding a Christmas assembly and a Christmas store, among other activities throughout the school year.
Loberg said the students also took on fundraising activities for Relay for Life, and for a classmate in Grade 8 who is fundraising for a service dog to help him, and he hopes that the students will continue to do this as part of helping the community.
