Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools

VIEW A VIDEO CELEBRATING THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION

DIVISION OVERVIEW:
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools (CRCS) was created as a result of the Government of Alberta's restructuring of school districts across the province in 1994 and 1995. CRCS was formed in 1995 by amalgamating Okotoks RCSSD #346, Drumheller RCSSD #25, and Assumption RCSSD #50. Today CRCS provides an authentic Catholic education to students in traditional schools in the following communities and their surrounding areas, Oyen, Brooks, Drumheller, Strathmore, High River, Okotoks, and Canmore. Alternative education programs are offered through Virtual Schooling, Online Education and Home Schooling programs to students all over Alberta and around the world.

OUR MISSION:
As an evangelizing school division, in partnership with the family, we will deliver an authentic Catholic learning experience by creating a foundation of faith and knowledge in a warm, caring environment to guide all students to appreciate the goodness of all creation and to meet the challenges of life with hope and confidence

As we strive to achieve our mission we will;

OUR VISION:
Let the Truth of Christ and Knowledge of God's Creation be experienced by and manifest in the students, staff, parents and supporters of our Catholic School Community.

To fulfill our mission and vision we will be at all times guided by;

OUR FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS:
Dignity of the Individual Person
The infinite value of each person in God's eyes must be reflected in all that we do. This calls for respect in all relationships.

Catholicity
As Roman Catholics, we accept the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church. Our Catholic Faith permeates all that we do. Our schools become faith communities when staff and students give witness to their faith. Jesus is the source of our morals and values. Prayer is essential.

Instructional Focus
The educational needs of all students must be met in a manner that does not deprive others of access to good education within a safe environment. We believe the family is the fundamental unit of society and that parents are the primary educators of their children.

Accountability
The Board of Trustees is accountable to the Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary, the Minister of Learning, our parents and supporters. The Board provides direction to its staff and students. We are called to be faithful stewards of God's creation.

IMPORTANT FACTS:
Enrollment: During the 2007/2008 school year CRCS will educate approximately 5119 K - 12 students in our traditional schools, and 1887 students in our Centre for Learning@Home. CRCS student enrollment growth has been consistently over 9% per year over the past 5 years. It is expected that student enrollments will continue to grow at rates over 6% for the next few years.

Student Achievement:
Academics: Students in CRCS consistently excel on Provincial Achievement Tests (PAT) and Provincial Diploma Exams. For the 2006/2007 school year 80.9 % of all grade 3, 6, and 9 CRCS students achieved the acceptable level on their PAT's, and 24.2 % achieved the level of excellence. These numbers exceed the Provincial Averages.

High school students in CRCS perform equally well. 91.9% of all students taking a Diploma exam achieved the acceptable level and 28% achieved the level of excellence. Again these numbers exceed the provincial averages. It is important to note that not only do CRCS students excel in writing PAT and Diploma Exams the percentage of CRCS students who write these exams far exceed the provincial averages.

Extra Curricular:
Not only do CRCS students excel academically they also excel in extra curricular activities. CRCS bands have won numerous awards at band festivals, and a number of CRCS sports teams and individuals have won league championships, zone championships, and provincial championships.

Stakeholder Satisfaction:
Parents of students in CRCS express high levels of satisfaction:
95% of parents are satisfied with the quality of their children's education
90% of parents are satisfied with the Catholic nature of our schools
91% of parents feel CRCS schools are safe and caring places for their children
90% of parents are satisfied with the quality of information on their child's academic progress they receive.

Other Important Facts:
CRCS pupil teacher ratio in 2007/2008 is 18.2 for K – 3, 20.8 for grades 4 – 6, 21.9 for grades 7 – 9, and 18.2 for grades 10 – 12. CRCS employs an outstanding group of 384 certified teachers, 168 teacher assistants, 13 librarians and 11 family liaison workers to directly serve our students.