The spring weather signals not just the final months of the school year but also the end of Grade 9 enrolment at Holy Trinity Catholic School.Starting next September, the school will only offer pre-kindergarten to Grade 8, exactly how the school was originally planned, said principal Michael Cellini.The school's staff and parent council first suggested dropping Grade 9 in November, he said.In the end, it was about what was best for the students' education. If all other students in town and surrounding areas were graduating to high school starting in Grade 9, Holy Trinity would have to examine why it was the exception, Cellini said.“For the community, it was a better fit to have our students transition with the rest of the students in the community to the high schools at that time,” he said about the decision.Cellini added Grade 9 enrolment has always been low at the school, requiring classrooms to be blended with Grade 8s.This year, there were five Grade 9 students enrolled at the school.“The concern was that the numbers would always be small enough that they wouldn't run as a class on their own,” he said.Split classes bring “unique challenges,” Cellini added. The curriculums are different, sometimes requiring teachers to work with two groups of students on unrelated topics.“It does put unique strains on the classroom that if we have the option not to make a blended classroom, then I'd rather not,” he said.Cellini added that eliminating Grade 9 at the school would not result in staff layoffs.Students in grades 8 and 9 will be leaving Holy Trinity this June but Olds High School, one of their possible destinations, is helping them with the transition.“We really want to extend a real welcome to them. We look forward to getting to know each of them and their families,” said Olds High School principal Tom Christensen.According to Christensen, the high school invited graduating students from Holy Trinity for a tour and meeting earlier this month.In May, current Grade 9s from Holy Trinity will spend a day shadowing their peers at OHS, Christensen said.“We do a lot of work in Grade 9 on the culture of the school and the opportunities of the Community Learning Campus,” Christensen said. “So we really need to try and help the Grade 9s this year so that they know, as they go into high school, what their options are.”Current Grade 8s will have their own orientation, he added.Accommodation for new students will not be a problem, he said. Olds High School was built for 700 students and current enrolment is at about 600.The relationship between OHS and Holy Trinity has been strong, with Christensen eager to support students making the switch, Cellini said.“From my point of view, it's been a great working relationship,” he said. “(Christensen) sees Holy Trinity here in town as just being another part of the community and we need to work together.”[email protected]
