Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1

This document articulates the strategic direction for the Calgary Catholic School District, encompassing its mission, vision, and board priorities. The core vision is to ensure every student knows Christ and realizes their full potential, reinforced by a mission to live and learn in Catholic faith. Key strategic pillars include Faith formation, student well-being, Student Success, and Indigenous education, which collectively aim to cultivate confident, engaged learners and achieve holistic student development within a Catholic framework.

The Chief's Opening Message outlines a three-year plan for the Calgary Catholic School District, emphasizing student success through engagement, academic and faith-based themes, and continuous improvement. Key strategic areas include advancing literacy and numeracy, fostering student resilience, integrating technology, and developing staff capacity. The plan aligns with the 'Inspiring Education' framework, promoting engaged thinkers, ethical citizens, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Operational focuses involve teacher professional growth, workload studies, managing student growth challenges, regulatory reviews, curriculum redesign, student learning assessments, dual credit programs, and high school redesign, all supported by a commitment to informing, engaging, and celebrating successes.

The board discussed the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the critical role of school staff as frontline workers. A central topic was the urgent call to the government and Alberta Health Services to prioritize school staff for COVID-19 vaccinations. The discussion highlighted the significant number of staff members in isolation and emphasized that vaccination is necessary to ensure the health and safety of staff while they continue their work with children in schools.

The discussion focused on the role of a trustee in Catholic education, emphasizing the importance of protecting faith-based values and ensuring continued public funding for Catholic schools. Key topics included the challenges of classroom complexity, the necessity for improved infrastructure and student transportation, and the ongoing need for advocacy with government officials regarding education funding. Additionally, the conversation addressed the qualities of an effective trustee, such as strong governance experience, empathy, active listening, and the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within school districts.

The discussion focused on the district's mission of Catholic education, the role of trustees in advocacy, and the importance of parent-trustee collaboration. Key topics included the Grace initiative (Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education), strategies for managing student mental health and anxiety, the need for sustainable and predictable provincial funding, and infrastructure priorities. The meeting also addressed the implementation of a new curriculum and the importance of maintaining locally elected school boards.