The high schools in Ponoka offer a large range of activities and programs for students and both the Ponoka Outreach School and Ponoka Composite High School have been working and will continue to work to meet students’ needs during the school year.
Ponoka Outreach School
The Ponoka Outreach School is expecting approximately 250 students by Sept. 30. This school year the students and staff will be welcoming a new teacher, Jim Wilkinson. Wilkinson transferred from Mecca Glen School and will be leading students in the Humanities area at the high school level.
Principal of Ponoka Outreach, Lawrence Hrycun is looking forward to meeting new students and starting the new school season.
“My hopes are that we have a good year,” said Hrycan. “Every year is unique and different depending on the students that we have coming in.”
The Outreach strives to create a supportive and positive learning environment for all students and provides a junior high program, full and part-time high school students and adult students who are looking to upgrade their education.
Morning meetings are held about twice a week and feature guest speakers throughout the year.
Hrycun enjoys being the principal at the school and believes that it is a valuable place for students that thrive in a unique environment.
“The school fills a niche for a certain group of students,” he said. “I always enjoy working here with the students and the public of Ponoka.”
Ponoka Composite High School
PCHS will see some new changes this school year thanks to a substantial Skills Canada grant that will enhance the school’s CTS programs.
Other changes include a full fitness centre equipped with new gym equipment, a teacher advisor program, new and upgraded hardware and software, etc.
There are also two new teachers: Tracy Perry will be the new math teacher and Sonja Witzman will be teaching science and some english.
The high school has also beefed up their security for this year and are implementing new strategies and rules to help ensure the safety of the students.
Melanie Girard-Gonthier is the new resource officer for the school. All of the doors of the school, except the main entrance, will be locked during the day and visitors should check in at the main office.
Principal of PCHS, Ian Rawlinson, is anticipating these changes and hopes that this school season will be a good one.
“Basically we are going to try to take the changes that we have implemented and try to continually work on those changes to make sure that they are successful,” said Rawlinson. “There is a huge leap from making changes to making them work and I feel that we have a pretty good structure in place.”