WCPS starts school year with new Mission and Vision
Wolf Creek Public Schools’ (WCPS) staff, students and families are back from the summer break. We hope you are rested and ready for an exciting year.
It was a busy summer for many of our WCPS staff, as we saw a 50 per cent increase in summer enrollment with 150 students in high school summer school programming. We also offered a second summer program in July that saw 30 Chinese exchange students from Guangzhou, China spend two weeks in Alberta learning with peers from WCPS schools.
Meanwhile, WCPS staff from tech services to maintenance to custodians were tirelessly getting the resources and schools ready. So you can see that even in the summertime there is much to do.
As a Board we are very excited for the start of this school year, as it is the first year of WCPS’ new Mission, Vision, and Values statements. These foundational statements had not been revisited in 15 years in our Division, and when you begin such a process it is absolutely crucial to invite and listen to the voices of those who make up your Division — staff, students, parents and community members that so greatly support us.
That process started in February with 29 staff members and 18 high school students in face-to-face meetings in addition to a Thoughtexchange engagement of staff, students, parents and the community at large. Close to 2,000 participants shared their thoughts around the question: What do you value most about Wolf Creek Public Schools and what can we do better to prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future?
What emerged was an incredible and deep dialogue about who we are as Wolf Creek Public Schools and what we want to see our Division become, and we are tremendously grateful for all those who participated.
The statements are:
Mission: We inspire success, confidence and resilience in every student.
Vision: We will ensure our students reach high levels of achievement to prepare them for a successful future as lifelong learners who embody strong character and citizenship.
Values: We value and nurture positive, authentic relationships while ensuring safe and caring learning and work environments.
These new statements were truly crafted from the genuine feedback and thoughtful engagement shown through this process. They carry a meaning and a way to help achieve this for each person in our Division. We invite you to spend some time reflecting about what these statements mean to you as a member of the greater Wolf Creek community. How will you work to take this set of values, this vision and this mission and make our motto — Creating Success for All Learners — a reality?
Success takes many forms, but with this set of values, and mission and vision statements, WCPS is working to find that success in our students, encourage them daily, and celebrate their achievements.
We look forward to the school year and what this new direction means.
Have a tremendous year!
Pamela Hansen is Board Chair of Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS). WCPS Board of Trustees consists of six trustees representing the communities and rural areas of Alix, Bentley, Blackfalds, Bluffton, Clive, Eckville, Lacombe, Ponoka, and Rimbey. Serving approximately 7,300 students, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, WCPS employs approximately 412 teachers and 350 support staff in 30 schools, including five colony schools, throughout the Division.