By JEREMY APPEL on September 28, 2019.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com@MHNJeremyAppel
The opening of the Prairie Mennonite Alternative School was made official Friday, with a ceremony to celebrate the newest member of the Prairie Rose School Division.
There was representation at the event from all three local school boards, since the building of the former St. Thomas Aquinas was leased to PRSD from the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education and is in the Medicine Hat Public School Division’s zone.
A student presented MHCBE chair Dick Mastel and superintendent Dwayne Zarichny with a crucifix as a sign of gratitude for providing them with the building.
Principal Tracy Frank told the News the new school was needed because the Redcliff Mennonite Alternative Program, which she was also in charge of, was no longer suited for the town’s old police station, with 85 students crammed into a small building.
Since the building is “just across the road” from Crestwood School, Frank says it’s important to foster a strong relationship with MHPSD.
“We’d love the opportunity for our kids to maybe do some activities together and get to know each other, and open that communication between the two different cultures,” she said.
The school teaches the regular Alberta Education curriculum, with some adjustments to make it Mennonite-appropriate, such as beginning the day with a catechism and having a period for German lessons.
“There are some beliefs we stay away from and the community has strong feelings on around certain areas,” said Frank.
They wouldn’t teach the students about dinosaurs, human sexuality or snakes, the latter of which are considered a demonic symbol in the Mennonite tradition.
Frank says these tweaks are done to ensure Mennonite kids remain in the public system instead of getting homeschooled.
PRSD superintendent Roger Clarke says the transition from RMAP to the new building went “quite smoothly.”
“The transition really was getting the building ready,” he said. “We had to involve our maintenance staff, our technological staff, our custodial staff from around the division … It’s amazing the amount of efforts they all put in.”
One challenge that remains is transportation. Since the school is outside of PRSD’s zone, transportation services aren’t part of the funding formula, which Clarke says the board is working with Alberta Education to find a solution to.
“Regardless of that, this is the right choice,” he said. “Since the beginning of September, these kids have been in a real school, with a real playground, a real field to play in, a real gymnasium, real proper bathrooms. All the kinds of things you’d consider normal in a regular school, these kids now have.”
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