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Community input sought for Blackfalds school boundary

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) is hosting several community meetings to discuss school boundaries.

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) is hosting several community meetings to discuss school boundaries.

The construction and boundaries change of the proposed Blackfalds Kindergarten to Grade 9 school will be discussed at an upcoming meeting on March 10th.

“With the number of new school buildings and renovation projects we currently have occurring, we wanted to host these community meetings to encourage the participation of our school communities and to enhance the consultation process,” said RDCRS Superintendent Paul Mason in a press release.

“We have hosted similar types of meetings in the past and they have been very positively received.”

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed boundary changes and the transition process that will take place when the school opens in 2017.

Families attending English Kindergarten to Grade 9 schools in Blackfalds and surrounding areas are invited to attend.

Although the construction of the school may still be pending, the regional school board still plans to move ahead with discussing the boundaries change for the Blackfalds area as well as the naming the school.

“We have not yet selected an exact location until we have a better idea regarding funding,” said Haleigh Packer, RDCRS communications coordinator.

In regards to the school naming campaign, Packer said RDCRS wanted direct input from the community.

For the month of February, RDCRS held a full online naming campaign, asking for local input on naming the new education facility. Individuals could have submitted names through Twitter and by filling out a Google form.

Some guidelines for name submissions included that the name should be seen as a role model to students, as opposed to honouring individuals.

Canonized saints, the use of Christ’s mysteries, angels and historical faith-focused people, if a significant time period has elapsed since they have passed away, were also accepted.

“The faith element and Catholic presence in the name was to be significant,” said Packer.

A short list of the collected potential names will be submitted to Archbishop Smith for consideration in relation to the guidelines. Once the names are approved by Archbishop Smith, the RDCRS board of trustees will select the final name for the school in Blackfalds.

The name of the school will be announced sometime in the future.

The community meeting regarding the Blackfalds Kindergarten to Grade 9 school boundary will be held on March 10th at St. Teresa of Avila School (190 Glendale Blvd.) in Red Deer from 7 to 9 p.m.

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