Board Christmas Column: A lot to reflect on as Wolf Creek enters the Christmas break

Students, staff, and families around Wolf Creek Public Schools are getting ready for the Christmas break. As we prepare for the break, the Board of Trustees wants to give you a sense of the work that has been accomplished so far this school year, is still ongoing and that we are anticipating through the remainder of the school year. 

We applaud the work of Educational Services in preparing our schools for the implementation of the new curriculum, and the allocation of resources regarding that implementation. The Division was provided with $167,000 to support the K-3 English Language Arts and Literature, K-3 Mathematics and the K-6 Physical Education and Wellness curriculum. Funds were used to purchase common resources, but the majority were distributed to schools in early July to be ready for the start of school in September.  

As many school divisions have done, Wolf Creek opened its school doors and classrooms to welcome students from Ukraine. Focus was made to ensure a detailed intake process occurred to have the necessary supports that continue to be in place for students and staff. 

We have spoken about it in the past, but there is tremendous success being found in our school divisions' partnerships with post secondary institutions to allow our students to find their path forward in high school and beyond. This includes dual-credit and career internships possibilities at post-secondaries like Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and Olds College. In Wolf Creek, 100% of students involved in a dual credit program graduate high school, as they pursue post secondary interests ranging from health sciences, to STEM to education and trades. This speaks to the environment of success created through these strong partnerships, forged by the dedication of our division and school staff and those of our post secondary partners, but also the drive and determination of students as well.  

As a Board, we have been busy, as we wrapped up the Blackfalds Boundary and Grade Configuration review. The new high school in Blackfalds, named Iron Ridge Secondary Campus will open in September 2024 as a grades 9 to 12 school. There was a lot of feedback from the community of Blackfalds and Lacombe through the review process and we as a Board are grateful for the engagement of staff, parents and guardians, our municipal partners, and the public.

We are getting set to move into the second half of the school year and ring in 2023. We know a lot of work continues regarding supports and programs that help students and families. Some of these have already begun, such as Social/Emotional Learning Programming that included a virtual district wide parent presentation in November, there is the work in schools and at the division level of a common report card across the school division. Additionally, we continue to find resources that make a difference in the classroom, such as ST Math that is making gains in student numeracy, or in efforts to recognize students, such as student bus riders, in the rider of the month program.

This is a small sample of a growing list of resources, programming, achievements and excellence around Wolf Creek. As we enter the Christmas break, and get to the end of 2022, we at Wolf Creek Public Schools, and the Board of Trustees want to thank all our amazing teachers and support staff for their dedication and passion. We want to thank parents and guardians for their amazing contributions and support of our schools. And, we want to let our students know that you are our inspiration. All that is done throughout Wolf Creek is for your success.  

We are proud of all the contributions that make Wolf Creek Public Schools a school division gifted with amazing talent. On behalf of the Board of Trustees for Wolf Creek Public Schools, we wish you a safe and healthy holiday season, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

Luci Henry, is the Board Chair for Wolf Creek Public Schools. Wolf Creek Public Schools Board is served by 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.