Christ the Redeemer Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 3
Encyclopedia
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 3 is a publicly funded Catholic school jurisdiction serving students in a number of communities across southern Alberta
, Canada
.
, Drumheller, Oyen
, Brooks
, Strathmore
and Canmore
. The division offices are in Okotoks.
The division operates a network of contracted school buses to serve smaller outlying communities as well as farms, ranches and rural dwellers. Some of the smaller communities served include Black Diamond
, Turner Valley
, Rosemary
, Priddis and Longview
.
in Oyen. The then parish priest in Oyen, Father Molnar, was instrumental in helping with the foundation of the Oyen School. As the law stood in Alberta, a public meeting of all Catholics in the area (called a four by four from the size of the original school districts into which Alberta was divided) was called and a vote taken to see if a quorum was present (25%) and if a majority of eligible voters approved of the project.
St. Anthony's School in Drumheller originally offered high school classes, but the declining population in Drumheller due to the closing of the coal mines and the end of the baby boom made the high school a precarious proposition. After a few years, the school reverted to a kindergarten
to Grade 9 configuration. Oyen originally offered Grades 1 to 9 at Assumption School, but the end of the baby boom and rural depopulation caused the offering to be restricted to Grades 1 to 6. Kindergarten classes were started in 1995.
By the late 1980s, Okotoks was growing fast and Catholic parents formed an exploratory group to study the feasibility of establishing a Catholic school. They were encouraged by the local parish priest, Fr. Greg McLellan. Among the key parents were Joanne Mercier, Mannie Fink-Fraser, Bev Palko, John Walsh, Ted Tatem, Jim Lewis and Paula Ford {the last five subsequently trustees and the last three chairmen of the board}. The new parish priest in Okotoks, Father Michael Storey, appointed in 1988, became a strong supporter of the project. Following a successful vote in Okotoks and a number of surrounding rural four by fours, the Okotoks Catholic School District was proclaimed in September 1988. The first institution,, Good Shepherd School opened in September 1990, in temporary facilities until a new facility opened in January, 1991. Kindergarten and Grade 1 were held at St. James Church in Okotoks while Grades 2 to 8 were held at Mossleigh School, a 45 minute bus ride east of town. The school opened with about 200 students. Growth was rapid and a high school Holy Trinity Academy opened in 1992 in shared facilities. In 2009 there are four Catholic schools in the town of 20,000.
By 1990, parents in High River began to be interested in a Catholic school, and working in cooperation with the Okotoks Catholic School District, they won a vote in 1992 to establish a Catholic school district. It was merged with the Okotoks Catholic School District into the Foothills Catholic School District and its first school, Holy Spirit Academy, opened in the old High River Hospital, a building that had served for many years as a nursing residence. There are now two Catholic schools in High River.
The Conservative provincial Government of Ralph Klein decided in 1994 to reduce the total number of school jurisdictions in Alberta from about 165 to around 60. It was left to individual districts to seek partners voluntarily or face a government solution. It certainly looked as if the Foothills Catholic District would be absorbed into the Calgary Catholic District, the solution for two other Catholic Districts in Airdrie
and Cochrane
, both in the metro Calgary area. In fact, tentative approaches were made by a Calgary Catholic senior administrator to his counterpart in the Foothills Catholic District along these lines and Drumheller Catholic was slated to join Red Deer
Catholic. It was expected that the Catholic school in Oyen would be closed and the district dissolved.
However at a meeting at Lethbridge in January 1994, a consensus was reached between representatives from Drumheller Catholic and Foothills Catholic for a new type of decentralized regional division which left significant decision making in local hands. Representatives from Oyen were soon approached and found the plan attractive as well. Final details were worked out in a meeting at St. Anthony's Parish Hall in Drumheller on the Saturday after Easter of 1994. The Christ The Redeemer School Division came into existence on January 1, 1995. The first Superintendent was Ron Wallace, who had been Superintendent in Okotoks since its inception in 1989. Deputy Superintendent was Dr. Bertha Wilson, who had been Superintendent in Drumheller for some years. The Superintendent in Oyen, Len Miller, retired , but was later elected as a trustee for the board from High River, subsequently serving a term as Chairman. The first Chairman of the Board was Jim Lewis of Okotoks.
The jurisdiction’s vision, mission and fundamental beliefs are brought to life by four foundational school community pillars including: faith; learning; safety and care; and stewardship.
As faith communities, schools embrace the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church. The Catholic faith permeates all that is done. Schools become faith communities when staff and students give witness to their faith. Jesus is the source of morals and values. Prayer is essential. As learning communities, schools believe the family is the fundamental unit of society and that parents are the primary educators of their children. The educational needs of all students must be met in a manner that does not deprive others of access to quality education. As safe and caring communities, schools believe that the infinite value of each person in God’s eyes must be reflected in all that is done. This calls for respect in all relationships. As good stewards of resources, schools are called to be faithful stewards of God’s creation. The Board of Trustees is accountable to the Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary, the Minister of Education, and parents and supporters. The Board provides direction to its staff and students.
From earliest days, the Division had a commitment to the needs of exceptional children. Within two years of its foundation, two new take out programs were introduced in all schools: Early Intervention programs (Kindergarten to Grade 3) targeting the needs of children at risk of academic delay; and, skills programs (Grades 4 to 12) designed to help students who were behind in academic performance. Teachers at common grade levels meet weekly to share strategies and compare student performance. And the metaresearch findings on effective teaching and classroom were endlessly repeated and incorporated into the working practices of the teachers and principals. As a result of this, Christ The Redeemer Catholic Schools soon emerged as the top academic performer of all the school jurisdictions in Alberta, a position it holds to this day as measured by Alberta Education's Accountability Pillar Report Card.
As part of its stewardship of resources pillar, the jurisdiction has become a national leader in designing and constructing “green” school facilities. Most recently (2008), the newly constructed Holy Trinity Academy (Okotoks, Alberta, Canada) was built to LEED Gold standards; the first high school to receive this prestigious recognition in Canada. LEED refers to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. The recently opened Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy (Canmore, Alberta, Canada) was also designed and built to LEED Gold standards. It is anticipated that the new St. Anthony’s School (Drumheller, Alberta, Canada), currently under construction, will receive the same designation.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Communities
Communities currently with Division schools include Okotoks, High RiverHigh River, Alberta
High River is a town in southwestern Alberta, Canada with a population of 10,716. It is south of the city of Calgary, at the junction of Alberta Highways 2 and 23...
, Drumheller, Oyen
Oyen, Alberta
-Demographics:The population of the Town of Oyen according to its 2009 municipal census is 1,190.In 2006, Oyen had a population of 1,015 living in 404 dwellings, a 0.5% decrease from 2001. The town has a land area of and a population density of .-External links:...
, Brooks
Brooks, Alberta
Brooks is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada surrounded by the County of Newell. It is located on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway, approximately southeast of Calgary, and northwest of Medicine Hat. The city has an elevation of .- History :The area that is now Brooks was originally...
, Strathmore
Strathmore, Alberta
Strathmore is a town located along the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta, Canada, east of the city of Calgary, within the boundaries of Wheatland County.- History :...
and Canmore
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
. The division offices are in Okotoks.
The division operates a network of contracted school buses to serve smaller outlying communities as well as farms, ranches and rural dwellers. Some of the smaller communities served include Black Diamond
Black Diamond, Alberta
Black Diamond is a sister town to Turner Valley. There exists a three-kilometer trail next to the roadway between Black Diamond and Turner Valley named the Friendship Trail. It has a hospital, shops, hotels and residences, an elementary school [K-6] and highschool [7-12] as well a hockey rink and...
, Turner Valley
Turner Valley, Alberta
Turner Valley is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located southwest of Calgary.Situated on Highway 22 , the town was once the centre of an oil and natural gas boom. For 30 years, the Turner Valley Oilfields was a major supplier of oil and gas and the largest producer in the British Empire, but is...
, Rosemary
Rosemary, Alberta
Rosemary is a village in southern Alberta. It is located 30 km north-west of the city of Brooks and 14 km north of the Trans-Canada Highway. It is home to one school and several businesses.- Demographics :...
, Priddis and Longview
Longview, Alberta
Longview is a village in southern Alberta, Canada. It is located in the Canadian Rockies foothills, on Cowboy Trail, 32 km west of High River and 64 km south of Calgary...
.
Origins
The origins of the district go back to the 1950s when Catholic parents in Drumheller and Oyen separately formed Catholic school districts and each opened a school, St. Anthony's School in Drumheller and Assumption SchoolAssumption School
The Assumption School was a Catholic elementary school in Chicago, Illinois from 1899 to 1945. Located at 317 West Erie Street, it was founded by Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American to be made a Catholic saint...
in Oyen. The then parish priest in Oyen, Father Molnar, was instrumental in helping with the foundation of the Oyen School. As the law stood in Alberta, a public meeting of all Catholics in the area (called a four by four from the size of the original school districts into which Alberta was divided) was called and a vote taken to see if a quorum was present (25%) and if a majority of eligible voters approved of the project.
St. Anthony's School in Drumheller originally offered high school classes, but the declining population in Drumheller due to the closing of the coal mines and the end of the baby boom made the high school a precarious proposition. After a few years, the school reverted to a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Grade 9 configuration. Oyen originally offered Grades 1 to 9 at Assumption School, but the end of the baby boom and rural depopulation caused the offering to be restricted to Grades 1 to 6. Kindergarten classes were started in 1995.
By the late 1980s, Okotoks was growing fast and Catholic parents formed an exploratory group to study the feasibility of establishing a Catholic school. They were encouraged by the local parish priest, Fr. Greg McLellan. Among the key parents were Joanne Mercier, Mannie Fink-Fraser, Bev Palko, John Walsh, Ted Tatem, Jim Lewis and Paula Ford {the last five subsequently trustees and the last three chairmen of the board}. The new parish priest in Okotoks, Father Michael Storey, appointed in 1988, became a strong supporter of the project. Following a successful vote in Okotoks and a number of surrounding rural four by fours, the Okotoks Catholic School District was proclaimed in September 1988. The first institution,, Good Shepherd School opened in September 1990, in temporary facilities until a new facility opened in January, 1991. Kindergarten and Grade 1 were held at St. James Church in Okotoks while Grades 2 to 8 were held at Mossleigh School, a 45 minute bus ride east of town. The school opened with about 200 students. Growth was rapid and a high school Holy Trinity Academy opened in 1992 in shared facilities. In 2009 there are four Catholic schools in the town of 20,000.
By 1990, parents in High River began to be interested in a Catholic school, and working in cooperation with the Okotoks Catholic School District, they won a vote in 1992 to establish a Catholic school district. It was merged with the Okotoks Catholic School District into the Foothills Catholic School District and its first school, Holy Spirit Academy, opened in the old High River Hospital, a building that had served for many years as a nursing residence. There are now two Catholic schools in High River.
The Conservative provincial Government of Ralph Klein decided in 1994 to reduce the total number of school jurisdictions in Alberta from about 165 to around 60. It was left to individual districts to seek partners voluntarily or face a government solution. It certainly looked as if the Foothills Catholic District would be absorbed into the Calgary Catholic District, the solution for two other Catholic Districts in Airdrie
Airdrie, Alberta
Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been...
and Cochrane
Cochrane, Alberta
Cochrane is a town in the Canadian province of Alberta. The town is located 18 km west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. With a population of 15,424 , Cochrane is the second largest town in Alberta and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada...
, both in the metro Calgary area. In fact, tentative approaches were made by a Calgary Catholic senior administrator to his counterpart in the Foothills Catholic District along these lines and Drumheller Catholic was slated to join Red Deer
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
Catholic. It was expected that the Catholic school in Oyen would be closed and the district dissolved.
However at a meeting at Lethbridge in January 1994, a consensus was reached between representatives from Drumheller Catholic and Foothills Catholic for a new type of decentralized regional division which left significant decision making in local hands. Representatives from Oyen were soon approached and found the plan attractive as well. Final details were worked out in a meeting at St. Anthony's Parish Hall in Drumheller on the Saturday after Easter of 1994. The Christ The Redeemer School Division came into existence on January 1, 1995. The first Superintendent was Ron Wallace, who had been Superintendent in Okotoks since its inception in 1989. Deputy Superintendent was Dr. Bertha Wilson, who had been Superintendent in Drumheller for some years. The Superintendent in Oyen, Len Miller, retired , but was later elected as a trustee for the board from High River, subsequently serving a term as Chairman. The first Chairman of the Board was Jim Lewis of Okotoks.
Amalgamation
The history of Christ The Redeemer School Division since its inception has been one of innovation, rapid growth and academic achievement. The jurisdiction now serves over 7300 students in sixteen schools in seven communities and recently received the Minister's Education Leadership Award (MELRA) in an unprecedented seventeen categories.The jurisdiction’s vision, mission and fundamental beliefs are brought to life by four foundational school community pillars including: faith; learning; safety and care; and stewardship.
As faith communities, schools embrace the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church. The Catholic faith permeates all that is done. Schools become faith communities when staff and students give witness to their faith. Jesus is the source of morals and values. Prayer is essential. As learning communities, schools believe the family is the fundamental unit of society and that parents are the primary educators of their children. The educational needs of all students must be met in a manner that does not deprive others of access to quality education. As safe and caring communities, schools believe that the infinite value of each person in God’s eyes must be reflected in all that is done. This calls for respect in all relationships. As good stewards of resources, schools are called to be faithful stewards of God’s creation. The Board of Trustees is accountable to the Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary, the Minister of Education, and parents and supporters. The Board provides direction to its staff and students.
From earliest days, the Division had a commitment to the needs of exceptional children. Within two years of its foundation, two new take out programs were introduced in all schools: Early Intervention programs (Kindergarten to Grade 3) targeting the needs of children at risk of academic delay; and, skills programs (Grades 4 to 12) designed to help students who were behind in academic performance. Teachers at common grade levels meet weekly to share strategies and compare student performance. And the metaresearch findings on effective teaching and classroom were endlessly repeated and incorporated into the working practices of the teachers and principals. As a result of this, Christ The Redeemer Catholic Schools soon emerged as the top academic performer of all the school jurisdictions in Alberta, a position it holds to this day as measured by Alberta Education's Accountability Pillar Report Card.
As part of its stewardship of resources pillar, the jurisdiction has become a national leader in designing and constructing “green” school facilities. Most recently (2008), the newly constructed Holy Trinity Academy (Okotoks, Alberta, Canada) was built to LEED Gold standards; the first high school to receive this prestigious recognition in Canada. LEED refers to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. The recently opened Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy (Canmore, Alberta, Canada) was also designed and built to LEED Gold standards. It is anticipated that the new St. Anthony’s School (Drumheller, Alberta, Canada), currently under construction, will receive the same designation.
External links
- http://www.redeemer.ab.ca