Ralston School Benefits from Close Ties with Military Community
The Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) is a short walk, less than five minutes, from Ralston School, which the school uses for all Phys. Ed. classes. Not only does the facility have a large-sized gym – with two volleyball courts and a full-sized basketball court – but there are also three weight training areas, a mid-sized pool, and a squash court. Additionally, there is an area with multiple stationary bikes and a CFMWS instructor is available each week to take the hockey academy students through a spin class. To top it off, there is a classic-style movie theatre the school can request to use.
Across the green from the CFMWS is the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC), which houses a four-lane ten-pin bowling alley, and a public library, which is part of the Shortgrass Library System and has a multitude of resources available for use.
Another two-minute walk from the MFRC is the Ralston Arena, which students in the hockey academy use on Monday and Wednesdays. Unfortunately, one of the dehumidifiers went out this year and the students weren’t able to use the arena until mid-November.
“They love hockey here,” said Principal Jason Duchscherer. “It is a passion, and this is the first year for the hockey academy. It’s separate, it’s not with the Willie Desjardin Hockey Academy. Teacher Wade Carrier had the idea to start an academy at Ralston because the British military, many of the Canadian military and some Suffield families were interested in an academy being created. It was proposed last year, and this is the first year it is running at Ralston School.”
Some of the students enrolled in the academy are just learning how to skate while others are already playing hockey. “We’ll have a big range in ability. Monday and Wednesdays are ice times, and they get in-class exercise with the instructor from the CFMWS on Fridays and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays they join regular Phys. Ed. class. This was supposed to start at the beginning of October but because of the ice issue, today is the first day. The kids have been waiting and waiting,” explained Duchscherer.
The last time teacher Sonia Stanton was in Britain, she bought some fancy pens, and the school has implemented a handwriting program this year. When they are ready, students will write a letter to Superintendent Reagan Weeks who will judge each letter and if she thinks they have met the standard of handwriting, one of the pens along with a Pen License will be presented to the student at the monthly school assembly.
“We haven’t had anyone who has written to Reagan yet, but we are getting close,” stated Duchscherer. “We are bringing handwriting back as recent research states a student without it is concentrating so hard on writing notes, they are missing some of the material coming. All that cognitive load is focused on writing because they haven’t developed those skills. Hopefully, this month we’ll have someone ready to write to Reagan. It’s not so much the topic or sentence structure being focused on for the letters, but the penmanship.”
Junior High students will soon be given the opportunity to learn about working at BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) Radio, which is beside the MFRC. Radio presenter Melissa Davies said they will be able to talk about, “what is going on at school, who is having birthdays or anything else. We’ll work on a script, and they will also get a chance to work at the desk and play with the faders.”
“The school would really like to thank the base for everything they’ve done. Even when we go swimming with the Grades 1 to 3, there are not enough lifeguards to watch all the kids, there are about 20 students in the pool, so some of the soldiers will come down and swim with the kids. They are family oriented and school focused,” concluded Duchscherer.
By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer