Parent Information
Parent InvolvementAll parents with children attending school are members of their local school council and are encouraged to participate in council activities. Councils usually meet on a month basis. School Councils are established in all schools and serve as a vehicle for parents, school administrators, teachers and support staff to meet and work together toward common goals. School Council Chairs also meet one another, division administrators and representative(s) of the Board of Trustees at the Division Parent Association meetings held once per month typically held at the Regional Board Office The Catholic Education Centre 1251 - 1st Avenue SW., Medicine Hat, AB T1A 8B4 (403) 527-2292 Parents may also participate by becoming a trustee in the School Division. Trustees are elected for a three year term. Learn About:
Schools Boards and Provincial Governing bodies recognized the value of parental involvement in education leading to the provincial government legislations to support the an advisory role of School Councils to School Act in 1994. |
School CouncilsParents in the Medicine Hat Catholic Regional School Division have always played an active advisory role within the schools. Their presence are an invaluable support to school administrators, teachers, support staff in helping the school reflect a community spirit. Learn About:School Councils in the provincial School Act.
In keeping with our CATHOLIC FAITH, Our Mission, Vision, Values and Principles of Practice: School Councils are called, always and everywhere to:
Learn About:School Councils by calling your local school! | ||||||||||||||||||
Parent AssociationsTo expand the existing channels of communication, school council members have the opportunity to be part of the larger association referred to as Parent Association. This Association was formed to create more opportunity for mutual influence, to build knowledge, and to enhance direct communication between parents, administration and the Board of Trustees. The Association consists of 9 member volunteers, one member from each of our nine schools. Learn About:Parent Association by contacting your local school! |
PublicationsLearn About:Learn About: | ||||||||||||||||||
Curriculum Handbooks for ParentsSee what students are expected to learn in each grade, including overviews of subjects and topics. Curriculum Handbooks are available in general and Catholic versions, and in French. Curriculum Handbooks for Parents and Curriculum Summaries contain information for parents on subjects, programs and courses available in Alberta schools. They are updated every year as changes are made to the curriculum. Learn About:Kindergarten/Grades 1-9/High School Freedom of Information and Protection of PrivacyMedicine Hat Catholic Regional Division No. 20 ensures that we provide the public with access to information and that we protect individual (personal) privacy. Learn About: |
Useful Links for Parents and Students | ||||||||||||||||||
School Starting AgeIf your child is five years of age on or before February 28, he or she is eligible to register in Kindergarten. If you child is six years of age on or before February 28, he or she is eligible to register in Grade One. KindergartenThe Kindergarten Program provides learning experiences that meet the developmental needs of all children. Children move through similar stages, but with their own pattern and at their own rate of development and learning. When children enter the Kindergarten Program there may be as much as a year's difference in age between the oldest and the youngest one-fifth of their lifetime! What Do Children Learn in Kindergarten?Early childhood is a significant period in human development. It is the time when children begin to develop independence, initiative, decision-making, creativity, early literacy and numeral skills, the ability to relate to others, verbal communication skills, and feelings of self worth! What young children learn at this stage will have a major impact on successful learning experiences in school, on personal development and on future participation in society. Young children begin all this important learning in a variety of environments - in their homes, in day care programs and in the community Children arrive in Kindergarten from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of experiences. In a Catholic School, children are affirmed and encouraged as they make their own journey toward God and greater participation in the Church. Religious Education in KindergartenThe Kindergarten religion program "In God's Image" consists of 8 modules containing 33 themes that can be sequenced by the teacher to best respond to the particular needs and interests of each class. The "Church Times"module is a sequential set of lessons that invite children to celebrate the Christian story as it unfolds through Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. "In God's Image" uses the existing special moments and experiences of young children and affirms their religious importance. Throughout the day, children are encourage to see "traces of God" in all of their experiences. |
Why Choose a Catholic School?RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - Showing the Face of Christ to All - The Mandate of Medicine Hat Catholic Separate Regional Division NO. 20 is to "Show the Face of Christ to All". All of our endeavors are directed towards the proclamation of the gospel of Christ and His invitation to the fullness of life. Jesus is the reason for our schools. He is the unseen but ever present teacher in our classes. He is the model for our staff and the inspiration of our students. This mandate if reflected in our Three Year Education Plan, whose first goal states: The Division will ensure the integrity and enhancement of Catholic Education, which for us has these fundamental components: Community, Spirituality, Sacramentality, Tradition, Hospitality, Rationality, Justice and Compassion. Catholic Education embraces faith and learning. We seek to breathe the teachings and visions of Jesus into our schools, to bring together a rich diversity of students and staff who share together their spiritual journey. Catholic Education permeates our school buildings; what is taught and what is lived. "Catholic schools bear a great heritage of culture, of pedagogical wisdom, of attention of the character of children, adolescents and young people, of mutual support for their families, of the ability to anticipate with the insight that stems from love, the new needs and problems that arise with the changing times"(Pope John Paul II). The Vatican II document Gravissimum Educationis provides a clear expression of the nature of a Catholic school: The Catholic school pursues cultural goals and the natural development of youth to the same degree as any other school. What makes the Catholic school distinctive is its attempt to generate a community climate in the school that is permeated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and love. It tries to guide the adolescents in such a way that personality development goes hand in hand with the development of the 'new creature' that each one has become through baptism. It tries to relate all of human culture to the good news of salvation so that the light of faith will illumine everything that the students will gradually come to know about the world, about life, and about the human person. Learn About:DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION GRAVISSIMUM EDUCATIONIS PROCLAIMED BY POPE PAUL VI ON OCTOBER 28, 1965 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Board of Trustees of the Medicine Hat Catholic Regional School Division proudly acknowledges the commitment and dedication it's employees and the community and we express our gratitude to: Our parents and families who have entrusted their children to our care and whose partnership is essential as we share in the formation of each child; Our students whose simplicity, joyfulness and enthusiasm for learning continually inspire; Our staff who walk daily with the children and who strive to create a learning environment ENLIVENED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST; Our faithful supporters that make it possible for Catholic Education to continue as a service and an option in our community. |
Our Parish Teams who teach us the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Catholic School: A LEARNING COMMUNITY ENLIVENED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. His teachings permeate our philosophy, his life unites us, and his spirit inspires or programs. |
