On October 26, the Steering Committee sent a team consisting of Pam Jones, Rick Jones, Brent Moore and Steve Anderson to Okotoks Alberta to visit Holy Trinity Academy. The school was designed in a triangular configuration which supported the schools religious beliefs and values. The school has LEEDS status which makes the school more energy efficient and green, although the guide really didn't speak of the elements which contributed to the LEEDS designation. One thing the LEEDS designation did provide was very loud flushing toilets.
The gym uses a lot of natural lighting and has seating for 700 using rolled out bleachers, which when pushed back there was very little profile to the benches. The school contained a bookable science lab for up to two classrooms using hexagonal stations which made for an efficient use of space.
All of the students in this school can elect to take Learning Strategies, which is a 1.5 credit course which allows students to reinforce their learning with small group tutoring done by 4 academic E.A.'s and overseen by an LA teacher. So academic students can improve their learning and understanding in courses like Chemistry and Physics while academically at-risk students can reinforce their learning in subjects like Applied Math. This practice has led to significantly higher provincial exam marks and significantly improved completion/transition rates. Demand for this is greater than supply and it would be interesting to see how they prioritize service.
The gym uses a lot of natural lighting and has seating for 700 using rolled out bleachers, which when pushed back there was very little profile to the benches. The school contained a bookable science lab for up to two classrooms using hexagonal stations which made for an efficient use of space.
Upon entry to the school, there was a beautiful feature wall with fountain which was paid for with sponsorship dollars. The cafeteria doubled as a theatre with rolling seating for 400 and the drama room was on the other side of the retractable wall. The classroom then doubled as a stage. Much of the budget was spent on building the central portion of the school and portables were attached to the end of each wing and the join was nearly seamless. The conference room in the office area was set up with a projector, video cameras, and a smart board which were all used for video conferencing.
All of the students in this school can elect to take Learning Strategies, which is a 1.5 credit course which allows students to reinforce their learning with small group tutoring done by 4 academic E.A.'s and overseen by an LA teacher. So academic students can improve their learning and understanding in courses like Chemistry and Physics while academically at-risk students can reinforce their learning in subjects like Applied Math. This practice has led to significantly higher provincial exam marks and significantly improved completion/transition rates. Demand for this is greater than supply and it would be interesting to see how they prioritize service.For more pictures of Holy Trinity Academy, click here
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