by Lucie Roy
The 2017-2018 school year started on Tuesday, Sept. 5 for many students in the six learning facilities in Morinville.
The Sturgeon School Division Principal for the Morinville and Sturgeon Learning Centres is Greg Gibson (Above). The Morinville Learning Centre has a staff of three teachers: Nichon Miller, Kevin Mussieux and David Westra with one more teacher slated to arrive at the end of the month and one Administrative Assistant, Tanya Sloan.They have continuous enrollment and last year they averaged from 100 to 120 students.
The Morinville Christian School (MCS) Principal is Lorraine Demers.The school has 52 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. They have three certified teachers, two Educational Assistants and one Administrative Secretary. The school, located near the Shell Station, used to accommodate up to Grade 12 but due to lack of space students transitioning into Grade 9 to 12 are supported by home-education, distance learning as well as transferring to other schools in the area.
They have three Home-Education Partners under the Morinville Christian School Authority: They are Thee, Roots and Steams: Learning for Life. They have altogether more than 2000 home-education students.
Demers said, “Morinville Christian School is looking forward to moving with our church: The Father’s House, to our new site next spring/summer to accommodate future growth of our school and church.”
Morinville Community High School (MCHS) Principal Don Hinks said they have a staggered start to the school year. This provides for more orientation and familiarization for the new students to the school. Only the Grade 9 students were at the school on Tuesday in the morning and in the afternoon it was only the Grade 10. It will be a full day for all students on Wednesday.
On Tuesday staff members were busy preparing a welcome BBQ lunch. They have no new teachers this year and have 500 plus students to date.
Ecole Notre Dame Elementary School Principal Raymonde Roulston said they have students from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 4 with 462 from K to 4 and a count of more than 500 kids with the pre-Kindergarten. They have two new teaching staff.
Ecole Georges H. Primeau Middle School has close to 400 students from Grade 5 to 8. Library Technician Leanne LaRocque was busy with the text books on Tuesday while Principal Allan Menduk was monitoring the hallway during the break. They have five new teaching staff.
Morinville Public School (MPS) Principal Shawna Walter and Vice Principals Kerri Trombley and Dan Requa were greeting the many students and teachers at the school. MPS has seven new teaching staff members and 850 plus students.
All student totals are current estimates only as the numbers of students registering is ongoing and the numbers fluctuate till the end of September.
