Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, June 4, 2007

FORT RESOLUTION - Fort Resolution's Deninu school has a bumper crop of graduates this year.

Seven Grade 12 students are preparing to write their final exams, and principal Moh Odeen is confident all will pass.

The number of graduates will easily eclipse the largest total since Grade 12 was first offered at the school in 1999.

"The previous high was four," Odeen said, noting that was in 2004.

In 2001, there were no graduates and just one in 2003.

Odeen said he is really pleased the graduates have persevered to finish high school.

"I'm very happy for the kids," he said.

Graduate Destiny Lafferty, 17, said it's exciting to be part of the largest graduating class at Deninu school.

Lafferty noted the members of the class have been talking about it since they were in Grade 11.

"We feel honoured, and hopefully it will push the other students to have a bigger graduating class next year," she said.

She also expects it will be a big event for the community when Deninu school holds its graduation ceremonies in the fall, after the results of the final exams are known.

Lafferty believes the reason for the large number of graduates is that the students began to look beyond school. "I think it was people thinking about their futures."

Odeen credits a number of things for the large number of graduates, and the overall improvement at the school in recent years.

"The kids have been good students," he said, adding their parents have also been supportive.

The principal, who has been at the school for five years, also noted there has been less staff turn-over, particularly teachers leaving during the year. The year before he arrived, several teachers left during the year. Only one has left during the school year since he arrived.

"It is a big thing," he said. "It we have staff consistency, it solves a lot of the problems."

However, Odeen said young teachers staying just a year or two in small communities is still a problem. This year, for example, out of 10 teaching staff members, six were new to the school.

The school also makes it clear to students what is expected of them, both academically and in terms of acceptable behaviour.

Odeen said it is possible there may also be seven graduates next year.

However, in a community of only 600 people, graduating classes may not get any bigger.

Odeen noted only four students entered kindergarten this year, and just five are expected to start school next year.