January 4, 2022- Parents, please be on the lookout for a letter from the Alberta Government. Inside the letter, you will find a survey from the government that asks questions about our School Division. The surveys generally come to parents of Grade 4, 7, and 10 students, but have been known to come to parents of other grades as well. This survey is important to our school division, and we value your honest feedback.

The survey can be confusing and often the questions seem like they are not directed at your child’s grade level. Please refrain from answering with “I don’t know”, as this response gives the School Division a negative result on the survey. If you have any questions, you can contact me at Central Office or please reach out to your school’s principal for assistance.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to fill out the surveys and for returning them to the government on our behalf. Your support, along with our hardworking staff members, has allowed us to continue operations throughout a difficult school year.

I would also like to take this time to highlight our achievements and to showcase some of the great things we’ve been implementing within the Division. We currently have a partnership with Grande Prairie Regional College for Trades Instruction — which is something we are very proud of. This initiative is making it easier for Grade 12 students to transition into fulfilling careers and pursue their academic dreams beyond high school. We have also had an increase in our 3-Year High School Completion Rate, which is an excellent accomplishment during a pandemic. Principals, teachers, and educational assistants have gone out of their way to support students and their collective hard work has paid off!

In the Division, we are still sticking to our Literacy, Numeracy, and Inclusionary culture goals. We are working hard to ensure that all students are reading and writing at or above their grade levels or meeting their individualized program goals. Extra attention is also being given to ensuring that students are performing at or above grade level in numeracy and are confident in their mathematical abilities. The Division is also focused on inclusive learning for all students, and each school is ensuring a safe and caring environment that celebrates diversity. All schools are making sure that their students’ physical, social, and emotional wellness needs are met so that their overall academic engagement is increased.

I am also happy to announce that we are instituting the Learning Loss Intervention Program for Grade 1 to Grade 3 students. This initiative will be providing supports for students who may need extra assistance with literacy and numeracy and is being funded by the Alberta Government to close the gap on learning losses that have occurred due to the pandemic.

We are looking forward to a successful year ahead and we thank you all for your continued support.

Adam Murray

Superintendent of Schools