Introduction
We are very proud of the heritage of our school, what it represents, and what has been accomplished in establishing a solid educational foundation upon which our students can continue to build. We believe that we can best help children achieve academic, personal, and social growth not only by creating a positive and supportive learning environment, but also by caring for the whole child. This includes cultivating appropriate attitudes towards others so that each individual is respected, valued, and supported. As well, we encourage all students to place a high priority on their own learning and the learning of others and to focus on the development of virtues such as perseverance, helpfulness, courage, compassion, and citizenship. Students may take part in a variety of after school clubs including TaeKwonDo, dance, theatre, art and guitar. In addition, there is a before-school and after-school care program.
Motto
We look forward to working with you and your children. Our motto is ‘Together we are strong’. Our code is to be respectful, be prepared to work, and do our personal best in everything that we do.
Philosophy
We have a ‘small town’ atmosphere where everyone is important, where everyone is accepted, and where we all look out for one another. We are only ten minutes from Sherwood Park and offer an idyllic country location, including nature trails and an outdoor hockey rink.
Parent volunteers are welcome in the school. Our School Council, along with our staff, organizes family dances, hot lunches, special days, family festivals and more. Children truly are raised by the whole community at Colchester School.
Beliefs
We look forward to working with you as partners in the important process of helping young people grow. We believe that a close partnership with the home is critical in helping our children develop intellectually, emotionally, socially, creatively, and physically. As educators, we are committed to providing a quality educational experience, one in which all students have every opportunity to learn and experience success. Close and open communication is vital. Having a supportive community involved with an excellent staff has meant consistently wonderful results both on Provincial Achievement Tests and satisfaction surveys. Colchester School mixes warmth and caring within a challenging atmosphere.
Programs _ Services
Our staff is dedicated to providing a quality learning experience for your child in a respectful, caring, and supportive learning environment. To meet the challenges of our changing world, our staff members are continually upgrading their skills. We are focusing on literacy, throughout the grades, the inquiry process and on student assessment (of, for and as learning).
School History
Colchester school is a blend of old and new, of urban and country. The original Wimbledon School on this site opened in 1898 as a part of the Colchester School District. A one room log school house, it had forty-seven students under the direction of Mr. O’Brien. The total cost for purchasing the land and building the school was $500. In 1938, Colchester School reopened in a new two-room school located across what is now Highway 14. In 1958, the present school was built near the site of the original log school site.
Mr. Cyril Seutter was a grade 1 student at the school in 1940. At that time, there were 3 students in grade 1. There were two rooms in the school and two teachers. Grades 1 through 6 were in the junior room, while grades 7 through 12 were in the senior room. There was a piano, but no other musical instruments. Cyril moved from grade 1 to grade 3 because the other two grade 1 students moved away after the first year. He hopes to come back and do grade 2 at some time!
The library had 150 books. As well, a traveling library with 100 books would come and stay at the school for a two-week period. Many of the older students had read all of the books in both libraries.
Rich in history and tradition and deeply embedded in the local community, Colchester is a leader in the best of educational innovation. We are committed to Elk island initiatives in literacy, numeracy, and hands-on science programs. We believe in the development of the ‘whole child’. We offer after school programs in clubs ranging from dance to theatre to horse-back riding. We have a unique self-defense focus that is infused into daily physical education, our virtues program, and into the climate of mutual respect and confidence in ourselves that are parts of the school climate.
Colchester occupies a unique place. Minutes from Sherwood Park, it sits in a quiet spot away from urban distractions. Surrounded by fields and nature trails, Colchester is in the best of both worlds.
As a staff we are very proud of the heritage of our school, what it represents, and what has been accomplished in establishing the kind of solid educational foundation upon which our students can continue to build. We believe that we can best help children achieve academic, personal and social growth by creating a positive and supportive learning environment. This includes cultivating appropriate attitudes towards others so that each individual is respected, valued, and supported, and places a high priority on their own learning and the learning of others.
Our staff is dedicated to providing a quality learning experience for your child in a respectful, caring, and supportive learning environment. To meet the challenges of our changing world, our staff members are continually upgrading their skills.