While students at Sacred Heart School are officially done for the year, teachers are still in the building, finishing up final reports, paperwork, and some last celebrations before heading into summer.
Christa Walton, Vice Principal and Learning Facilitator, reflected on what she called a year full of memorable moments that brought the school community together.
One of the early highlights was the return of school dances, as Sacred Heart teamed up with its sister school, St. Mary’s, to host both a Halloween dance and a spring dance. “It was nice to bring those two communities together, and there was a lot of attendance,” Walton said.
The school’s Praise Choir had what many students described as an unforgettable experience when they had the chance to perform with Canadian icon Susan Aglukark during a special visit.
As part of First Nations Week, Sacred Heart hosted talented hoop dancer Jay Genniale, and Knowledge Keeper Lyndon Linklater visited to help the school set up its tipi. Walton said the experience was a meaningful moment for students and staff.
The school also celebrated a national accomplishment this year, as their division received the top ranking in Canada for raising the most money through the Toonies for Tuition campaign.
When asked about their favorite part of the school year, many students pointed to the annual Face to Face retreat. “We have a group that comes in, there’s lots of music, reflection, and fun games. It’s the kids' favorite day,” Walton said.
In athletics, students enjoyed a well-timed track and field day with perfect weather. The school also saw a jump in participation in its Hockey Academy, expanding from two to three groups for the first time.
“Just seeing those numbers growing really supports kids both academically and on the ice,” Walton said. “It was another celebration for our school.”
Academically, the school made significant gains, especially in reading. Walton said it was the best growth they have seen since COVID.
“We not only attained the provincial goals, we surpassed them this year,” she said. “That came from a lot of work and several initiatives across the school and division.”
She credited some of the growth to newly created roles and staffing supports, including a division-based RTI (Response to Intervention) worker who supports both Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s, as well as a new EAL monitor to help support students who are new to the English language or strengthening their language skills overall.
“Some of those smaller initiatives combined have really shown an impact when it comes to our academics,” Walton said.
Sacred Heart also held its year-end awards celebration, combining it with their final assembly and inviting parents to take part. Grade 8 students were honoured with a farewell event the night before.
And as tradition goes, the school wrapped things up with a visit from the local fire truck, spraying down students for a fun send-off on their last full day. “We did that yesterday. We’ve got big mud puddles here to show for it,” Walton said.
Looking ahead, the school is already planning for the future. One of their goals is to upgrade the senior-side playground, and the Catholic School Community Council recently helped kick off fundraising with a coupon book drive.
Walton closed the year with a message of gratitude.
“We are very lucky in the community that we have here and the way they support us,” she said. “It’s an amazing school to be a part of.”