Rosthern Junior College
Encyclopedia
Rosthern Junior College, an independent high school
, has been a landmark institution in the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan
, Canada
since 1905. Opening in that year as the German-English Academy, it was founded by Mennonite
settlers in response to a need for trained teachers to work in the schools being established in homestead communities in Saskatchewan. Implicit in this perceived need were concerns among Mennonite settlers for the preservation of culture, religious values and the German
language, concerns that arose directly from the pressure in the province (Northwest Territory at the time) to make education English and assimilative.
region of present day Ukraine
became alarmed at the rising nationalism in the Russian Empire
. Along with land shortages in these growing colonies, pressure toward Russification of minorities was threatening Mennonite
values in education. Similarly, the promise made by Catherine the Great to exempt them from military service was quite clearly being challenged and rewritten by the then current Russian government. Canada
was seeking farming immigrants, and about 7,000 Mennonites chose to immigrate to Manitoba
where the government of Canada set aside two reserves for their resettlement. In the early 1890s, some of these families decided to move on to Saskatchewan, thereby establishing a trend that would see considerable Mennonite immigration to the Saskatchewan Valley
area before the turn of the century. Many came from Manitoba, but others arrived directly from colonies in Russia
, from the Danzig region of Prussia
and from Kansas
, Nebraska
and Minnesota
where they had settled in the 1870s.
Thriving Mennonite farming communities were quickly established in the Saskatchewan Valley area in the vicinities of Aberdeen, Laird, Waldheim, Langham, Dalmeny, and Rosthern particularly. Churches were established, land was broken and cropped and roads were built.
youth in the Valley. Toews was born in the Russian colonies, but did most of his growing up in Kansas
where his father eventually became a minister. He came to Canada to study at the already established Mennonite school in Gretna and eventually found his way to the Laird-Rosthern area as a teacher. (A plaque in honour of his efforts to establish Rosthern Junior College is prominent at the school’s entrance today.)
These meetings concluded that there were good reasons for establishing a Mennonite high school
, including the preservation of culture and language, the training of teachers for local schools, the vocational training of those not able or inclined to be farmers and, of course, developing spiritual leadership for the growing Mennonite community. The culmination was the rental of a facility in Rosthern in 1905, the hiring of a teacher and the opening of the German-English Academy in November with eight students.
Despite great difficulty in meeting expenses in lean years, the school soldiered on. Toews became its principal, fundraiser and general overseer, and in 1910, a two-story brick schoolhouse was dedicated, followed in 1912 by a girl’s residence. In 1909, the school was incorporated with the province of Saskatchewan
as the German-English Academy. Enrollments continued to grow, but during the 1920s & 1930s David Toews found himself expending more and more time and energy appealing for the necessary finances to run the school.
was turned for phase one of the current school plant. The concluding phase of the new school building was completed in June 1963 after a tremendous fundraising drive spearheaded by school president Elmer Richert and secretary-treasurer John R. Dyck. The school now boasted large, bright classrooms, laboratories, a gym
nasium, ample office space and a library
adequate for the time.
The major development of the 1970s was the construction of new residences. As was the case in the building of the school plant, tremendous effort, primarily on the part of principal Ernest Epp and staff member James Andres, was required to raise funding for this latest construction project, and again the alumni of the school came through with gifts and pledges which, when accompanied by a manageable mortgage
, enabled the completion of the current residence facility. Also in the 1970s, the conference of Mennonites in Alberta
and the Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan (now Mennonite Church Alberta and Mennonite Church Saskatchewan respectively) committed themselves to annual grants toward the operation of the school.
Beginning in 1964 when a newly elected Liberal government announced a per Saskatchewan pupil grant of $85.00 for private high schools, the contribution of the Saskatchewan government to the operation of the school has been crucial. Over time, these grants were increased more or less in keeping with the rising costs of providing education. In 2001, the current government approved the equalization of per pupil grants to all independent high schools, a move that nearly doubled the provincial contribution to Rosthern Junior College, so that currently, the provincial grant accounts for 30% of the annual income of the school.
so that students could begin their liberal arts education at RJC. A petition to the provincial government to change the name from the German-English Academy to Rosthern Junior College resulted in the present name of the school, although the anticipated elevation to the status of “junior college” in the eyes of the U of S never really materialized.
Today, RJC offers an “education with a plus”, a full high school program augmented by rigorous music, sports and drama programs, outdoor education, a modular vocational program, computer courses, Christian
Ethics
at all levels and numerous opportunities to develop Christian public service skills and interests through field service and travel. Early classes were taught exclusively in German; today French has replaced German as a second language course in an otherwise all-English curriculum.
Over the past decade, an average of 100 students in Grades 10 to 12 have enrolled at RJC annually. Approximately half of the students have come from Mennonite
families in the constituency area of Alberta
and Saskatchewan
, with the other half made up of students specifying other or no denomination, international students and children of alumni from other provinces. An academic staff of twelve, four residence deans, and a support staff of eight serve the students.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, has been a landmark institution in the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, 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...
since 1905. Opening in that year as the German-English Academy, it was founded by Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
settlers in response to a need for trained teachers to work in the schools being established in homestead communities in Saskatchewan. Implicit in this perceived need were concerns among Mennonite settlers for the preservation of culture, religious values and the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
language, concerns that arose directly from the pressure in the province (Northwest Territory at the time) to make education English and assimilative.
Mennonites arrive in Canada
Particularly in the 1870s, Mennonites of Dutch-German origins residing in colonies in the Black SeaBlack Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
region of present day Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
became alarmed at the rising nationalism in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Along with land shortages in these growing colonies, pressure toward Russification of minorities was threatening Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
values in education. Similarly, the promise made by Catherine the Great to exempt them from military service was quite clearly being challenged and rewritten by the then current Russian government. 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...
was seeking farming immigrants, and about 7,000 Mennonites chose to immigrate to Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
where the government of Canada set aside two reserves for their resettlement. In the early 1890s, some of these families decided to move on to Saskatchewan, thereby establishing a trend that would see considerable Mennonite immigration to the Saskatchewan Valley
Saskatchewan Valley
The name of a geographic area in Saskatchewan, Canada encompassing generally a triangle from North Battleford, to Saskatoon, north to the Saskatchewan River Forks east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan...
area before the turn of the century. Many came from Manitoba, but others arrived directly from colonies in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, from the Danzig region of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and from Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
where they had settled in the 1870s.
Thriving Mennonite farming communities were quickly established in the Saskatchewan Valley area in the vicinities of Aberdeen, Laird, Waldheim, Langham, Dalmeny, and Rosthern particularly. Churches were established, land was broken and cropped and roads were built.
Establishing a school
In 1903, under the leadership of teacher David Toews, meetings were convened to address the question of education for MennoniteMennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
youth in the Valley. Toews was born in the Russian colonies, but did most of his growing up in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
where his father eventually became a minister. He came to Canada to study at the already established Mennonite school in Gretna and eventually found his way to the Laird-Rosthern area as a teacher. (A plaque in honour of his efforts to establish Rosthern Junior College is prominent at the school’s entrance today.)
These meetings concluded that there were good reasons for establishing a Mennonite high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, including the preservation of culture and language, the training of teachers for local schools, the vocational training of those not able or inclined to be farmers and, of course, developing spiritual leadership for the growing Mennonite community. The culmination was the rental of a facility in Rosthern in 1905, the hiring of a teacher and the opening of the German-English Academy in November with eight students.
Despite great difficulty in meeting expenses in lean years, the school soldiered on. Toews became its principal, fundraiser and general overseer, and in 1910, a two-story brick schoolhouse was dedicated, followed in 1912 by a girl’s residence. In 1909, the school was incorporated with the province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
as the German-English Academy. Enrollments continued to grow, but during the 1920s & 1930s David Toews found himself expending more and more time and energy appealing for the necessary finances to run the school.
Expansion
By the 1940s, it was apparent that a new, larger school was needed. It wasn’t until 1956, however, that the sodSod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
was turned for phase one of the current school plant. The concluding phase of the new school building was completed in June 1963 after a tremendous fundraising drive spearheaded by school president Elmer Richert and secretary-treasurer John R. Dyck. The school now boasted large, bright classrooms, laboratories, a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, ample office space and a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
adequate for the time.
The major development of the 1970s was the construction of new residences. As was the case in the building of the school plant, tremendous effort, primarily on the part of principal Ernest Epp and staff member James Andres, was required to raise funding for this latest construction project, and again the alumni of the school came through with gifts and pledges which, when accompanied by a manageable mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
, enabled the completion of the current residence facility. Also in the 1970s, the conference of Mennonites in Alberta
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...
and the Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan (now Mennonite Church Alberta and Mennonite Church Saskatchewan respectively) committed themselves to annual grants toward the operation of the school.
Beginning in 1964 when a newly elected Liberal government announced a per Saskatchewan pupil grant of $85.00 for private high schools, the contribution of the Saskatchewan government to the operation of the school has been crucial. Over time, these grants were increased more or less in keeping with the rising costs of providing education. In 2001, the current government approved the equalization of per pupil grants to all independent high schools, a move that nearly doubled the provincial contribution to Rosthern Junior College, so that currently, the provincial grant accounts for 30% of the annual income of the school.
Course of study
RJC’s program of studies has, of course, evolved over the years. When Herman Fast began instructing the first few students in November 1905, the course of studies included Church History, Bible Stories, German Language, Bible Reading and World History. In the mid 1940s, an attempt was made to expand the curriculum to include courses recognized by the University of SaskatchewanUniversity of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
so that students could begin their liberal arts education at RJC. A petition to the provincial government to change the name from the German-English Academy to Rosthern Junior College resulted in the present name of the school, although the anticipated elevation to the status of “junior college” in the eyes of the U of S never really materialized.
Today, RJC offers an “education with a plus”, a full high school program augmented by rigorous music, sports and drama programs, outdoor education, a modular vocational program, computer courses, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
at all levels and numerous opportunities to develop Christian public service skills and interests through field service and travel. Early classes were taught exclusively in German; today French has replaced German as a second language course in an otherwise all-English curriculum.
Over the past decade, an average of 100 students in Grades 10 to 12 have enrolled at RJC annually. Approximately half of the students have come from Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
families in the constituency area of Alberta
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...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, with the other half made up of students specifying other or no denomination, international students and children of alumni from other provinces. An academic staff of twelve, four residence deans, and a support staff of eight serve the students.