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LAC LA BICHE - At Light of Christ Catholic School, teachers know their students, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
During their engagement session with the board on April 24, students in Grades 8 through 12 in Lac La Biche expressed their admiration for their small school.
“The staff are nice and they connect with students,” said one participant.
Light of Christ was the final Student/Board Engagement Session scheduled for the 2023-24 school year. During these meetings, students were asked to share their feedback on four areas of focus.
Faith Identity
“When we go to mass it helps us open our minds to God and see what it is like to be a part of the Christian community,” one student noted.
Prayer tables, priest visits, and attending retreats are some of the highlights students shared. Areas for growth are doing more community-based social justice projects. This is in addition to what the school does already such as collecting donations for the local food bank, homeless shelter, and humane society.
Quality Education
This year, the school has been able to expand its course offerings to provide welding, Indigenous arts, construction, and mechanics through a partnership with Portage College.
The students are grateful for the opportunity, but would like to see even more options available at their school including art, music, theatre, cooking, and shop.
Many of those participating in the session shared their appreciation for the Lakeland Student Trades Fair, noting it helped the decide what careers they want to go into and broadened their horizons in terms of what is out there.
The group also expressed the value of the school’s sports teams, which allow them to interact with other students outside of the classroom setting.
While they described the size of their school as a positive, they also noted it can pose its own challenges such as combined classes and limited options courses.
The division recently began offering online learning for certain courses, and students enrolled in these classes expressed how much they value the learning opportunity.
Social, Emotional, and Physical Wellbeing
Overall, students at Light of Christ feel supported, with staff who know their name and take time to connect with their students.
“It’s a small school, so everyone knows each other and that helps everyone get along easily,” said one student.
Other highlights in this area are the Mental Health Matters Campaign, which promotes mental wellness in their school through events, reduces stigma, and provides information on local resources.
Longer lunch breaks, and more time outside were two areas of growth.
Citizenship and Safe and Caring School Environments
The way staff are open about mental health allows students to feel comfortable with reaching out if they need support.
It also fosters a safe environment, where students feel supported, they said.
Being involved in planning morning announcements helps them feel more connected with their school.
Students felt they would benefit from the addition of a study hall or after school session with their teachers, more opportunity to extend project deadlines, and adding more time at Portage College.
The feedback provided by the group will be reviewed and considered as the board drafts the division’s Three Year Education Plan.