Grade 9 student Kylan takes aim at St. Mary's School in this file photo. Archery will be among several sporting programs offered to St. Mary's students next year as the school announced a new Sport and Wellness Academy planned to begin next fall. Registration opens Feb. 3.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Known for its Fine Arts Academy, St. Mary’s School in Medicine Hat is branching out to offer Grade 6-9 students the opportunity to participate in a new Sports and Wellness Academy next fall.
On Monday, principal Brad van Middelkoop informed students the new academy will be available next year, focusing on a variety of sports- and kinesiology-related programs targeted for active students who enjoy sport and team activities.
Students enrolled in the new Sports and Wellness Academy will experience a wide range of sports and activities including swimming, skating, yoga, volleyball, basketball, track and field, tennis, wall climbing, archery and outdoor education.
The academy will also offer kinesiology classes and will look into sport psychology as well as highlighting the importance of proper nutrition.
“We designed the program to have a really wide variety of experiences for these kids,” explains van Middelkoop. “From our experience running a successful Fine Arts Academy where we offer a wider variety of experience for those kids, and it’s been very successful, (we are taking) that idea and transforming it into a sports and wellness world.”
The goal is to expose students to a wide variety of activities while they are in middle school that promote healthy lifestyles and have an opportunity to enjoy physical activities on and off campus.
“The impact that we hope the academy will have is that it will encourage a healthy lifestyle and risk taking, but in a positive way,” says van Middelkoop. “We hope the students will build community connections.
The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education has calibrated with several community partners to offer an assortment of off-campus activities that include swimming, yoga and rock climbing.
Students enrolled in the academy will operate on a day A/B schedule, with off-campus activities offered on day A and core classes on day B.
Students participating in both the school’s Sports and Wellness and Fine Arts academies receive the same number of in-class lessons in core subjects that all Alberta students receive, the difference is made with academy students opting out of option classes.
The new sports and wellness academy will complement the school’s existing Fine Arts Academy and general programming, as well as feeder elementary schools.
Later on the academy will be integrated into programming that will be offered at the new Holy Trinity Academy school, set to break ground promptly and scheduled for completion by 2027.
“We want to be able to cater to every single student, that’s our goal here. So adding a sports and wellness stream, and especially the way we’re doing it, where kids are getting exposed to all sorts of things throughout town, all kinds of sports and wellness activities, I really think it’s good for the kids,” says van Middelkoop.
The academy will be taught by four staff at St. Mary’s School who are “all fantastic athletes,” and will develop programs aimed to pique and cater to all students’ interests.
“It fosters a sense of belonging, and that’s the goal that we have at St. Mary’ School is that we want a kid to latch onto something and make it theirs. So anything that makes coming to school exciting, or a little bit easier, is something we’re going to track down and try and offer students,” says van Middelkoop.
The enrolment fee is approximately $1,200. First-come, first-served registration will open Feb. 3. There will be 30 enrolment sports available for students in each grade.
