Enrolment in St. Albert schools has increased over the last few weeks due to the rise in students who arrived in the city following Fort McMurray wildfire evacuation.
As of Monday, St. Albert Public Schools had 45 students from the Fort McMurray area enroll and St. Albert Catholic Schools saw an increase of nearly 80 students in kindergarten through Grade 12.
Paula Power, the spokesperson from St. Albert Public Schools, says there shouldn’t be any problems integrating the students into schools.
“We get students kind of coming and going all throughout the school year as it is, so our schools are pretty flexible when it comes to welcoming new students,” said Power.
She spoke to one principal who mentioned that schools are sensitive to the situation. They are very open to supporting the students and helping them with things such as school supplies.
“Our schools are really going out of their way to welcome them,” said Power.
Carol Bruineman, spokesperson from Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools, says the increase in students has been good for all of their schools. She says the schools have been encouraged to help raise money for evacuees any way they can.
“Whether it be through collecting bottles, selling freezies, or hosting a school dance, to name a few activities, staff and students have been looking at ways to assist,” said Bruineman.
Schools from both boards have been happy to welcome the Fort McMurray students into their classrooms.
Bertha Kennedy Catholic School will host a Walk for Mental Health on Thursday.
The event will go from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the school. Participants of all ages are welcome to register when they arrive at the walk. They will be able to come at any time during the event and walk for as long as they wish.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Kids Help Phone, a service that connects children and youth to counsellors over the phone and the web.
Bertha Kennedy is part of a healthy school initiative called Comprehensive School Health. As part of the initiative, the school is focusing on mental health this year. The purpose of the walk is not only to raise funds, but to raise awareness of mental health as well.
“We are trying to get rid of the stigma of mental illness,” said teacher Dolores Andressen.
The school wants to give students tools that will help them know what to do when they are feeling upset.
“This year what we are trying to do is give them some strategies to cope with the things that happen in life so that they are able to bounce back,” said Andressen.
Kids Help Phone is a national charity that relies on fundraising from third-party events like this walk, says spokesperson Malissa Tarr. She says the walk is important because it involves “kids raising money for kids.”
