Whether teachers in Alberta will walk off the job or if they will be locked out remains up in the air, but this is the first day of the new school for students in Chinook’s Edge School Division.
The Alberta Teachers Association and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association were unable to settle their contract dispute last week.
At Ecole Olds High School, Principal Meaghan Reist notes they are ready to welcome back about 630 students in Grades 9 to 12 today. She says “our message to parents and our community is we are business as usual. Our staff is as excited to welcome kids and families back as ever and we are not going to be distracted by the noise. We are forever committed to those kids and our families, and that is what we are focused on.”
Reist says they will be adding some extra space for their growing community and therefore their growing class numbers. She points out Ecole Olds High School will be adding two more classrooms with a portable addition to their school. Reist says “every year we appreciate all the support and the trust and the confidence that our families and our community shows Ecole Olds High School. Our staff is proud to serve our community and we will continue our commitment to their children’s education and developing future leaders. They are undoubtedly going to do their part to positively impact our Olds community and beyond. We are very proud of them and we are very humbled and blessed to serve our community.”
