The Lloydminster Catholic School Division has welcomed a return to a more normal school routine, and the numerous activities that come with in-person learning.
“We’ve seen the performance of our students as excellent moving through their first term and the return to learning – and it really comes down to the hard work of our staff across the board from teachers to educational assistants to bus drivers who are there at minus-30 in the morning to make sure that all of our kids get to school. So having a normal year has been a real blessing and a gift – not only for us, but for families and the students we serve,” says Nigel McCarthy, director of education.
McCarthy noted they enjoyed the weather in the fall like “an extended summer” especially for sports disciplines including volleyball and football where the senior girls won bronze and the boys brought home the provincial title. He congratulated the coaching staff that has been working at this for several years and looked at how the success in the various activities is inspiring younger students.
“Another highlight was getting to sit with a group of young girls who are actually in grade six – my daughter amongst them to watch our senior girls (on live stream) come in and win a bronze medal this year. And seeing how special that is for young kids who aspire to one day play volleyball at Holy Rosary. And that team, next year will be one to watch. I think it is a possible future provincial champion – with so many students coming back,”says McCarthy.
In noting how the seniors inspire the juniors, he saluted all of the sporting programs.
“One day I’ll be a (Holy Rosary) Raider – I think is a wonderful thing to aspire to in all of our sports programming, whether it’s the soccer players we saw this fall in our elementary schools – the football and volleyball players; and now the basketball players who are having so much success on the court,” adds McCarthy.
He also underlined the all round support that the sports programs received and tied it back to the work done in the classroom.
“Being a Raider is more than just what happens on the field. It’s what happens throughout the school day too,” says McCarthy.
2023 – the Holy Rosary expansion
Looking to 2023, McCarthy says the new building at Holy Rosary will be opened Jan. 31 and over time the school population will increase from 1060 to some 1200 students.
The build includes a kinesiology lab, an innovation lab for programming and coding, an art lab, three university level science labs, eight more classrooms with technology “to allow students to take control of their learning in new ways and allow teachers to continue innovate and to find ways to make learning really engaging,” says McCarthy.
The education director says he is excited speaking to grades five through seven about what the new building at the high school means for them.
“One of the things perhaps that we are most excited about is how high school can become more hands-on, more practical. And certainly tied to some of the careers and pursuits that really are very future ready.”
In the new year, McCarthy is looking forward to the continued success of their early learning programs saying, “It’s reading, writing – it’s arithmetic that really defines your success as you go through school.” But he points to the celebrations like going to Christmas concerts and seeing the kids present themselves on stage before an audience of 500 people and “do so with confidence and grace.”
McCarthy is sharing greetings for the holidays on behalf of the LCSD.
“We wish everyone in our community a very Merry Christmas as well as a safe and Happy New Year. And we look forward to being back together with our students on Jan. 9.”