Boyle School’s principal, vice principal and school board trustee updated the Village of Boyle council last Wednesday about new school year.
Principal Art Shea explained in the presentation that the school is down 10 students from the count last year. However, until Sept. 30, that count isn’t final.
“We have 20 kids in Kindergarten and will be graduating 23,” Shea said.
A big change for the school is in its timetable. The high school section has adapted the flex program, which Edwin Parr Composite School in Athabasca piloted two years ago.
“Eventually, what I am guessing, is it will become the norm. We are trying to be proactive. Everyone in Aspen View is trying it this year,” he explained.
“It means we still have the traditional four periods during the day, which may consist of social studies or math. The last period of the day, which we have coined enrichment, is a chance for students to take 65 minutes in either math flex, english flex, social flex or science flex.”
Shea explained enrichment classes would be beneficial to struggling students.
“They can sit in on another class and get the help they need,” he said. “The students that are more advanced can get further ahead. We have a couple of students who are doing virtual (classes) to try and get ahead.”
Shea explained the program allows student access to another teacher.
“If you don’t understand how your math teacher does things, it gives students a chance to sit with another teacher and see how they do things,” he stated.
The new timetable is all about flexibility.
“They can take one day of photography and one day of math. If they get behind in social studies, they can flex out of photography,” he said. “Sometimes students have trouble with one section of things. They don’t have trouble with all the concepts.”
Since the way credits are earned has changed, students no long require a certain number of hours in a class.
“They can still get credits, but it will also give them help with what they need,” he added. “Because it is an extra class, photography and art will be credits over and above in any given year. There is a chance to get 50 credits.”
Traditionally, students required 125 hours to earn a credit.
“Instead, a credit is based on the objectives being met,” he said. “If the student meets the objectives in the first 10 hours, then they receive a credit.”
Alarm system
The Village of Boyle has installed an alarm system after a break-in at the village office last month.
“We are using nightly deposits, so there is no cash left on the premises,” chief administrative officer Charlie Ashbey said.
The village office suffered some damage to outside doors, as well as a loss of cash.
“Our insurance company sent a contractor out to assess the damage. Hopefully, the repairs can be made fairly shortly,” Ashbey said.
He has a suspicion regarding the break-in.
“What I think happened was that someone knew to come down here, but they thought the server room door was the office door. That door had been popped open,” he said. “That tells me that it was someone who has some knowledge, but they weren’t familiar with the layout down here.”
He said it just adds another piece to the puzzle.
“We have taken steps to ensure that if there is another break-in, at least they won’t walk out with cash,” he explained. “In the end, the break-in will cost us $1,000.”
That amount is the deductable on the village’s insurance policy.
