STAR Catholic School Division makes the grade – and then some!

School divisions are evaluated by many different audiences and based on a variety of different criteria. Each year, an independent survey of St. Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division students, parents and teachers is conducted by Schollie Research and Consulting to identify areas where expectations are being met or exceeded expectations, and where there are opportunities to improve. The Government of Alberta also measures the Division based on the Accountability Pillar, a set of criteria and performance measures that use a common evaluation system for all school divisions across the province.

“Year-over-year we have heard back from students, parents, teachers, staff and government representatives that we’re doing great work across our Division,” says STAR Catholic Board Chair Sandra Bannard. “We’re excited to announce that again this year, we have received feedback that we are continuing to exceed expectations with the many people we serve, from students in the classroom to our colleagues in government. That great work is being done at all levels and the Board of Trustees congratulates our staff on their commitment to our students and the families we serve across our Division.”

Schollie survey results have shown annual increases in approval ratings for students in nearly all categories, with students giving top marks to clarity of instruction and behavioural expectations, encouragement and support from teachers, and feeling safe at school. Parent ratings were at or above 80 per cent in all areas, particularly recognizing the safety and caring attitudes of their school environments, and teacher support for their students. Staff results continue to identify STAR Catholic School Division as a great place to work, with top marks given for the integration of faith in the schools, parental engagement and quality of education offered.     

STAR Catholic School Division continues to receive “excellent” rankings in the following Accountability Pillar categories: Safe and Caring Schools, Student Learning Opportunities, Student Learning Achievement (K-9), Parental Involvement and Continuous Improvement. Accountability Pillar results have continued to improve in Provincial Achievement Tests (PAT), diploma exam results and Rutherford Scholarship eligibility. The Accountability Pillar uses data on student achievement from Provincial Achievement Tests and diploma exams, and information on perceived quality of education using survey data from students, parents, and teachers, as well as additional student outcome data such as dropout rates, high school completion rates and post-secondary transition rates.

Based in central Alberta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division represents 10 schools that serve the communities of Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Lacombe, Leduc, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. The STAR Catholic Schools team of teachers and support staff are committed to giving more than 3,200 students across our division every opportunity to achieve their potential in a caring, safe and Christ-centred environment. For more information on STAR Catholic School Division and our schools, visit www.starcatholic.ab.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Sandra Bannard                                               Jamie McNamara
Board Chair                                                       Superintendent
STAR Catholic Schools                                   STAR Catholic Schools
Cell: 780-898-5234                                          Cell: 780-913-0194
sandra.bannard@starcatholic.ab.ca            jamie.mcnamara@starcatholic.ab.ca

The STAR Catholic School Division Board of Trustees and Senior Administration Team held an Awards and Recognition event on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013 at the Division Central Office in Leduc. Twenty-nine STAR Catholic staff members were recognized at the event for various milestones, from completing certifications and courses, to retirement.

Please click here for the full list of staff who were recognized at the event.

Congratulations to St. Augustine students Jessica and Taylor Mathieu from Sylvia Brendel’s class who won 2nd place in the 2013 Battle River Watershed Alliance Caring for our Watersheds competition. The girls won $900 for themselves and their school for their proposal to implement an ‘Adopt a Riverbank’ program in the City of Ponoka.

Grade 7-12 students across Central Alberta were asked the question: “What can you do to improve your watershed?”  More than 200 students took to the challenge and developed their idea into a written proposal. Of the 135 proposals written, judges invited 12 groups to compete in the final competition, where they presented their idea to improve their watershed in a five minute verbal presentation.

New Assistant Superintendents announced for STAR Catholic School Division                                                                       

St. Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division is pleased to announce that effective August 1, 2013, Mr. Charlie Bouchard and Mr. Kevin Booth will join the Division as Assistant Superintendents.

Mr. Bouchard comes to STAR Catholic Schools from Holy Family Regional Division #37 in Peace River, Alberta, where he has served as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Technology since 2009. “STAR Catholic School Division has an outstanding reputation for excellence and their Accountability Pillar results over the past several years are very impressive. I’m looking forward to putting my skills and experience to work for this Division and help further that tradition of excellence,” says Bouchard. Prior to moving into senior administration Charlie spent 10 years as a school administrator, serving as both a principal and vice principal at the elementary and junior high levels. At STAR Catholic Schools he will oversee the Personnel and Technology departments. Charlie earned his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Lethbridge, is married, and has two twin children.

Mr. Booth has over 20 years of service as a school-based administrator. Kevin brings a broad range of experience to STAR Catholic School Division, having served as both a principal and vice-principal at Catholic schools in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Washington state. Currently, he is principal of Bodwell High School, an international boarding school in North Vancouver that educates students from thirty-two different countries. “I am very excited to be joining the STAR Catholic Schools team and contributing to a Christ-centred learning organization,” says Booth. “With the exception of the past couple of years, my entire career has been in Catholic education and I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to serving the mission of Catholic education that has formed me as an educator and person.” Kevin has a Master’s degree in Leadership and Administration from Gonzaga University, is married, and has four children. He will be responsible for the Learning Services portfolio.

“We are excited to announce the appointment of Mr. Bouchard and Mr. Booth. They come to us very highly-recommended by those who know their work and each of them has a proven and inspiring track record of providing successful leadership,” says incoming Superintendent, Troy Davies. “I feel very blessed to have the privilege of welcoming these two gentlemen into our Division as we continue to grow now, and into the future.”

Based in central Alberta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division represents 10 schools that serve the communities of Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Lacombe, Leduc, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. The STAR Catholic Schools team of teachers and support staff are committed to giving more than 3,200 students across our division every opportunity to achieve their potential in a caring, safe and Christ-centred environment. For more information on STAR Catholic School Division and our schools, visit www.starcatholic.ab.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Jamie McNamara
Superintendent
STAR Catholic Schools
Cell: 780-913-0194

jamie.mcnamara@starcatholic.ab.ca

STAR Catholic Board revisits vote after meeting with Minister

Following a May 12^th special meeting of the St. Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division Board of Trustees attended by Alberta Education Minister Jeff Johnson, the STAR Trustees revisited their May 8^th decision to reject the proposed Alberta Education and the Alberta Teacher’s Association (ATA) framework agreement. The vote resulted in a decision to accept the agreement by a narrow 5-4 margin.

“This is not a question of our trustees having had a ‘change of heart’ over this issue,” says STAR Catholic Board Chair Sandra Bannard. “Minister Johnson was clear on his expectation that all local boards will ratify this agreement by his May 13^th deadline. Despite the fact that we still have concerns with many elements of this agreement, we are well aware of the potential of negative funding impacts, dissolution or amalgamation for boards that do not accept it. We’re not willing to risk the negative impacts those actions could have on our students.”

The proposed agreement stipulates that all 62 provincial boards must ratify it by today’s deadline. Minister Johnson has conducted 11^th hour meetings with boards across the province who have either rejected the proposed agreement or remain undecided and government representatives have remained unclear on the details of potential consequences for any boards who do not sign off on it.

“There’s no question that we still have concerns with elements of this agreement,” says STAR Superintendent Jamie McNamara. “Minister Johnson was clear in his comments to us that he agrees that the current system is broken and he’s seeking local recommendations on how to fix those problems. In the meantime, this agreement will provide the labour peace we need, to not only provide stability in our schools for students, but also to give time to consider the best possible options to manage negotiations for the future.”

Based in central Alberta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division represents 10 schools that serve the communities of Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Lacombe, Leduc, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. The STAR Catholic Schools team of teachers and support staff are committed to giving more than 3,200 students across our division every opportunity to achieve their potential in a caring, safe and Christ-centred environment. For more information on STAR Catholic School Division and our schools, visit www.starcatholic.ab.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Sandra Bannard                                               Jamie McNamara
Board Chair                                                       Superintendent
STAR Catholic Schools                                   STAR Catholic Schools
Cell: 1-780-898-5234                                      Cell: 780-913-0194
sandra.bannard@starcatholic.ab.ca            jamie.mcnamara@starcatholic.ab.ca

STAR Catholic Board rejects the Government of Alberta/ATA proposal

The St. Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division Board of Trustees has voted to reject the framework agreement that was reached by Alberta Education and the Alberta Teacher’s Association (ATA) on March 15, 2013. The four-year agreement is the result of more than two years of discussions between the ATA and government, with periodic input from the Alberta School Boards Association.

“While there are some positive elements to this agreement, after carefully considering the details and structure of the proposed framework, the majority of STAR Catholic trustees have voted to reject it,” says STAR Catholic Board Chair Sandra Bannard. “The agreement was developed through a fundamentally-flawed process in which local voices were not heard or honoured, and for that reason, we were unable to endorse it.”

School boards across the province have been asked to vote on the agreement, with the goal of having all 62 boards approve the agreement framework for teachers in their jurisdictions. To date, the decision of school boards to ratify this agreement has not been unanimous.

“School boards in our province have a history of bargaining with employees at a local level, but this framework agreement has not respected that process, requiring school boards to ratify the agreement with minimal input or consultation,” says STAR Catholic Superintendent Jamie McNamara. “Our Board is not willing to accept a framework agreement that leaves as many questions unanswered as this one does.”

STAR Catholic School Division continues to receive approval ratings that are well above provincial standards and those achievements are based on the hard work and commitment of local staff in schools across central Alberta.

Based in central Alberta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division represents 10 schools that serve the communities of Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Lacombe, Leduc, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. The STAR Catholic Schools team of teachers and support staff are committed to giving more than 3,200 students across our division every opportunity to achieve their potential in a caring, safe and Christ-centred environment. For more information on STAR Catholic School Division and our schools, visit www.starcatholic.ab.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Sandra Bannard                                                    Jamie McNamara
Board Chair                                                            Superintendent
STAR Catholic Schools                                        STAR Catholic Schools
Cell: 1-780-898-5234                                           Cell: 780-913-0194
sandra.bannard@starcatholic.ab.ca                 jamie.mcnamara@starcatholic.ab.ca

No relief in sight for Catholic students in Leduc

Despite assurances a new Catholic high school was on the list of the province’s new school projects, Leduc Catholic students and their families have been left to face an uncertain future in addressing serious overcrowding issues in their schools. While seven new schools and one major modernization were announced at an event in Edmonton on May 2^nd, no mention was made of projects that might alleviate the capacity issues that have been facing STAR Catholic Division schools in Leduc for several years now.

“We’re deeply disappointed by today’s announcement and the significant impact it will have on our Division and our schools in the City of Leduc,” says STAR Catholic Board Chair Sandra Bannard. “The STAR Catholic Schools trustees and staff have been advocating for a new Catholic high school in Leduc for many years, and we expected the news for our Division to be very different. There are clearly project-approval criteria at play here, but we have been left out of the loop as to what those are, and how we can meet them to have our needs addressed.”

Over the past three years, STAR Catholic Division has grown by 28 per cent, and enrolment jumped more than eight per cent for the 2012-2013 school year alone. The STAR Board of Trustees, senior administration, school staff, families and other stakeholders have worked diligently, advocating for government support for a new high school in Leduc. The new school would relieve overall capacity issues and allow the Leduc student population to be more effectively distributed to ensure all students have the best possible learning environments.

“Despite year-over-year increases in enrolment, and capacity and facility issues that we have been assured will be addressed by government, we’ve seen no support or relief in the recent announcements,” says STAR Catholic Schools Superintendent Jamie McNamara. “We have been patient and have worked collaboratively to the best of our abilities, but the process has failed us, so we need to begin exploring other avenues to address our needs.”

The STAR Catholic Schools Board of Trustees commissioned a High School Prototype and Budget Allocation Report in 2012, to establish budget guidelines and a prototype for future high schools to be developed within STAR Catholic School Division. The Board also recently approved the start of preliminary work to explore the best possible design and program options for a proposed new Catholic high school project. This work will help expedite the process in the event that a new high school project is approved to proceed.

Based in central Alberta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division represents 10 schools that serve the communities of Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Lacombe, Leduc, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. The STAR Catholic Schools team of teachers and support staff are committed to giving more than 3,200 students across our division every opportunity to achieve their potential in a caring, safe and Christ-centred environment. For more information on STAR Catholic School Division and our schools, visit www.starcatholic.ab.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Sandra Bannard                                                        Jamie McNamara
Board Chair                                                                Superintendent
STAR Catholic Schools                                           STAR Catholic Schools
Cell: 780-898-5234                                                  Cell: 780-913-0194
sandra.bannard@starcatholic.ab.ca                    jamie.mcnamara@starcatholic.ab.ca

The STAR Catholic trustees approved the new school calendars at the April 17, 2013 Board meeting.

Working closely with colleagues from our sister boards, this is the first time the calendars for STAR Catholic Schools have been nearly identical to those of other divisions that serve our communities.

Drayton Valley Ward

Lacombe_Ponoka Ward

Leduc-Beaumont Ward

Wetaskiwin Ward