The Lloydminster Catholic School Division is seeing some strong numbers of students walking across the stage for their diplomas and are looking for new ways to help students in their path after graduation.
LCSD Director of Education Nigel McCarthy says they will be introducing some new programming in the future focused on bridging the gap between high school and post-secondary.
“We focus on how our kids can move forward into their career of choice. Bringing some focus to engineering and the medical health sciences where we’ve had a number of our students go into pre-medicine programs nationally.”
McCarthy says 72 per cent of LCSD graduates go to post-secondary. He points out that the division has one of the highest graduation rates in the province with 96 per cent of students getting their diplomas.
“We continue to be the strongest school division in the province in terms of our graduation rate. We’re very proud of that. It’s not only the work of teachers in grade 12 but it’s also teachers going back to grade 1. It’s the people that send you on the path throughout the education.”
A focus for education by the Saskatchewan government is to increase graduation rates in First Nation, Métis and Inuit students. McCarthy says they’ve fared well with 86 per cent graduating and the division is seeing an increase in First Nation students.
He credits the staff outreach and liaison workers for their work in helping young First Nation students.
“It’s a set-up for success and it’s something we’re very happy to be continuing it.”
A highlight for McCarthy this past year is having every sports team at Holy Rosary High School reaching provincial finals.
“It really struck me as a credit to what we do in not just the arts and academics but also with athletics.”
He says there are several young people in the school division who are doing remarkable things which will help inspire other students in learning to give back to the community and be future leaders.
“We have extraordinary children in this city. We have a great group of kids growing up here who are going to change the world and do wonderful things in the future.”