The new principal and vice-principal of Sundre High School say they want to showcase student and teacher excellence during the 2011 - 2012 school year.
Jason Drent, who was vice-principal of the school for the past five years, takes over as principal this year, while Scott Saunders, the former physical education coordinator at the school, is the new vice-principal.
As of Friday, there are 340 students, 20 teachers, and 16 support staff at Sundre High School.
In an interview last week, Drent and Saunders laid out some of their plans and aspirations for the new year.
“We want to be getting out there and showcasing all we have to offer,” said Drent. “That's the message we are sending to our kids. Here's an opportunity to demonstrate and showcase what you can do. Here's your opportunity to strive for excellence.
“It's all about excellence. We believe this really is the best place you can send your kids. We have teachers that when they come to Sundre and they teach here for a while and experience the school community they make a decision to stay here.
“We are really excited about getting started and moving forward. We've got a lot of work ahead of us.”
VP Saunders added: “Just walking down the hallways there's a buzz and it's exciting. We're pretty excited for the school and we want to make sure we highlight that.
“Sundre is a special place and the school is a special place in Sundre. We've got a culture here that is the key and we are proud of that.”
As with the students, Drent and Saunders are encouraging teachers to really strive for success in the new school year.
“We are really encouraging our teachers to strive for excellence,” said Drent. “One of the projects we are working on is what we call exemplary teaching. That will be the focus of our professional development this year.
“It's not necessarily about bringing technology in; it's about finding ways of getting to my kids and have their education be more relevant for them, and that's exciting. It doesn't matter if you are a brand new teacher or a teacher that has been teaching for 35 years, you always have opportunities to improve your teaching practice.”
Saunders added: “We are encouraging teachers to showcase what is going on in their classrooms and open those doors up. It's all about showcasing what we do here.”
Sundre high will be hosting two major Chinook's Edge cross-country running meets this fall.
Drent and Saunders will be meeting with Sundre town council at an upcoming council meeting to discuss the school's plans for 2011 - 2012.
Meanwhile, Sundre High School scored very well on a recent provincial school survey.
• Safe and Caring Schools - Ninety-two per cent of Sundre teachers, students and parents surveyed said they are learning the importance of caring for others, are learning to respect others and are treated fairly in school. That compares with the provincial average of 88 per cent.
•Student learning opportunities - Ninety-two per cent of respondents said they are satisfied with the overall quality of basic education. That compares with 89.4 per cent provincially.
• Continuous improvement - Ninety-four per cent of respondents said the school has improved or stayed the same over the past three years. That compares with 81 per cent provincially.
• Student learning opportunities – Drop-out rate (which includes students who later return to school to complete their diplomas) was zero per cent in Sundre in 2010. That compares with the provincial average of 4.2 per cent.
As well, the three-year completion rate at Sundre was 91.7 per cent, compared to 72.6 provincially.