Public school board impressed with Connaught’s start to the year

By Jeremy Appel on September 12, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

Medicine Hat Public School District, formerly known as SD76, hosted the principal of Ecole Connaught School at its Tuesday meeting.

This was the first time an individual school’s report to the board was accessible to the public.

Principal Denni Neigum provided a presentation on Connaught’s situation going into the 2018-19 year.

It is a K-6 bilingual school, with 28 teachers, 11 support staff and “an amazing school community with endless possibilities,” said Neigum.

Enrolment is down this year by 60 students, which Neigum said is comprised mostly of those in the English stream.

She said the school is working to implement an “outcome-based” report card, which shows how a student’s grades fit in with the broader provincial curriculum.

“We’ve been trying every year aligning our report card, so that it matches the things that are happening in the district and then we will be likely moving to a similar template when we decide to do that,” said Neigum.

“Obviously, a lot of that is in limbo, because of what we don’t know about the new curriculum.”

Neigum said Connaught is also working to improve literacy for students in need of extra help.

Trustee Deborah Forbes praised Neigum’s report.

“It sounds like you’re really drawing from your staff and asking great questions, so you can get the right information to guide you,” said Forbes.

Fellow trustee Catherine Wilson Fraser had similarly high praise.

“There is definitely a warm feeling about this school,” she said. “I feel this community of Connaught in this room today.”

The first regular MHPSD meeting of the year is scheduled for Sept. 25.

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