Parents reaching out grant to examine 7-12 school model
Your Ottawa Region - Sept. 7, 2011
Maureen Dagg, from the parent council, welcomed students and spoke to parents about how they can get engaged with council.
Parents from Almonte schools will be taking a closer look at the high school’s transition to the 7-12 model, thanks to a parent reaching out grant.
Almonte and District High School (ADHS) will be adding two more grades in September 2012, Grade 7 and 8.
The school council applied for the grant, which is in place to let parents undertake projects that will involve them in their children’s education.
“It allows parents to determine within their own community what their needs are,” said ADHS school council chair Maureen Dagg. “What they are assisting are parents to get other parents involved.”
ADHS was not the only school involved; other Almonte and Pakenham elementary schools have also applied for funding under the parent reaching out grant for the same purpose of examining the 7-12 model.
“We decided to join forces with the other schools to come up with a more master proposal for money that we would all pool together.
The schools will work together to plan parent-focused events, planned by other parents. The events could range from guest speakers, to bussing to other 7-12 schools to look at how they run.
“By engaging parents in the process of the transition, we hope to overcome any perceived and real barriers to student success,” read ADHS’s proposal to the Ministry of Education.
“We are hopeful that it will lead to more successful parent engagement throughout intermediate and senior high school years in our school.”
The transition into the 7-12 school leaves ADHS parents wondering if the courses and programs their 9-12 students have access to will suffer, or grow, under the new model.
Grade 7 and 8 parents want to make sure the transition, which will see all Grade 7, 8 and 9 students beginning at ADHS next September, runs smoothly.
In June, ADHS principal Laurie McCabe said it will be a positive move for the younger students, as they will gain access to more facilities. It will benefit older students because of the funds allocated to the school for renovations, as the younger students will be taught in their own area of the school.
Dagg said she feels that if any principal is up to the job, it would be McCabe, who is an “incredible principal.”
Dagg spoke at the Grade 9 welcome barbecue at ADHS on Sept. 1 – an event that will have to be three times the size, next year.
She spoke to parents about their own engagement in their child’s education, using the upcoming year examining the school’s transition.
The Ministry of Education provides parent resources to promote parent engagement that can be found at www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents. There is also a toolkit available with tips and tricks for parents to aid their child’s success, ranging from helping boys with reading, to parent teacher conferences.