The opening of Holy Rosary High School’s new wing was a highlight of the school year for LCSD director of education Nigel McCarthy. Enrolment will be up across the division in the fall. Source File Photo
Students in the Lloydminster Catholic School Division (LCSD) will return to school on Sept. 5 with higher-than-expected enrolment.
The most significant increase will be felt at the Kindergarten level, according to LCSD director of education, Nigel McCarthy, in a year-end interview.
“We certainly have a strong Kindergarten class coming in as well as lots of interest in programming and school choice going on throughout the division,” said McCarthy.
“There’s lots of little ones in town that’s for sure.”
The library and outdoor classroom at Holy Rosary High School should also be finished by Sept. 1 to wrap up the $10 million renovation.
The expansion will allow the school to accommodate about 1,200 students, up from 750.
The opening of a new wing in February was one of the highlights of the past school year McCarthy spoke about on Friday, the day after graduation ceremonies.
He says the message principal Jeremy Blais and board chair Paul Scott told grads, “even when the world presents you with challenges, it’s your character that enables you to overcome,” captured the moment well.
“It’s the qualities that you’ve learned here—integrity, faith, hard work that really allow a person to pursue a life well lived,” said McCarthy.
He says the role at LCSD and the high school is for parents and teachers to celebrate graduates to provide them with the best send-off they can as a school and as a school division.
“Nearly 80 per cent of grads are off to college or trades school this fall,” he reported.
McCarthy has watched 26 classes cross the graduation stage during his career and says the experience is the same as when he graduated from high school many years ago.
“It’s about the optimism for the future that you see in young people 17 and 18 years of age ready to take on the world,” he said.
With students on summer vacation, there were a few last-minute details to wrap up at the division on Friday, including making sure the library and outdoor classroom construction was on track.
“I’m off to visit the job site and wish our teachers well today and getting to say thank you for a great year,” said McCarthy.
“The highlights were things like the championships that students won across the school division and the excellent academic results we’ve seen.”
He says the Lloydminster Athletics hockey academy also has a successful first year with the boys playing hockey across Western Canada.
“I think they had an exciting experience involving travel and all sort of skill development as well as personal training,” said McCarthy.
The new hockey academy at Holy Rosary was announced last July for U14, U15 and U18 teams.
“There’s certainly lots of interest in specialty programs whether they be for arts or sports or academics,” said McCarthy.
“What we find is the centre of a child’s education is really developing that whole person no matter kind of program they are in.”
He says LCSD also looks forward to volleyball and basketball next year as well as hockey and some of the individual pursuits that students have to tailor their program.
