Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 5, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Two St. Patrick high school students were recognized at a Yellowknife Catholic Schools board meeting Nov. 21 for achieving tops marks on the diploma exams.

Johnnie Bowden, principal of St. Patrick high school, presents Peter Boggis with a bursary cheque in recognition of his top mark on the diploma exam. Boggis got 100 per cent on the math diploma exam, tieing with two other students for the highest mark in the NWT. - Christine Grimard/NNSL photo

Megan Welsh, a former Yellowknifer columnist for South of 20, got 99 per cent on the Social Studies exam, while Peter Boggis got 100 per cent on Math 30 Pure. The two students received the minister's award for getting the highest mark on the tests in the NWT.

The diploma exams are written in January and June, and count for 50 per cent of final marks. Todd Stewart, assistant principal, presented to board members overall results for St. Patrick high school students in comparison with students in Alberta.

The comparisons, although not favourable for the NWT students in every subject, showed a general improvement overall compared to previous years.

Highlights included an increase of 5.6 per cent in students who passed Biology 30, and an passing increase of 3.5 per cent for English 30-1. In some areas, Stewart said students are encouraged to take the higher level test even if they aren't guaranteed a high mark. Although this brings down the school's average, it helps the individual student by giving them more opportunities in post-secondary education.

" What's not reflected in those statistics is the philosophy of our school," said Johnnie Bowden, principal of St. Patrick high school.

" Some schools pride themselves in getting top marks, but they should ask themselves, what is the cost? ... We would rather move students up and say to heck with the results."

Non-Catholic leaders welcomed to assemblies

Newly-elected chairperson Mary Vane put forward a motion to invite non-Catholic religious leaders to attend school liturgies as audience guests.

" We do have students at our school that are non-Catholic," said Vane. " This motion is one more sign of respect for students of other faiths."

Debbi Ross, newly-elected vice-president of the board, also spoke on the motion, expressing strong support.

" I was surprised that we weren't inviting (the religious leaders)," said Ross.

The motion was unanimously passed by the board members.

Next year's budget reduced due to low enrolment

Yellowknife Catholic Schools lost 71 students last year, a loss that will affect their budget for the next school year.

The Department of Education, Culture, and Employment uses an enrolment count done in September to determine the school board's budget. With fewer students, over 40 of which were lost from St. Joseph school, the school board will receive significantly less money next year.

As that amount depends on the government's formula, Mike Huvenaars, assistant superintendent-business for YCS, said he couldn't say at this point how much it would be.

The board also passed a budget adjustment adding in and taking out $115,000 for work the board did in support of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention conference.