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In one of Edmonton’s oldest school buildings, located just off Jasper Avenue and 117th Street, only a short distance from the river valley and downtown, a very exciting and unusual cohabitation can be found. In Oliver School, the stately, three storey, red brick school built in 1910, three widely diverse and remarkable programs live and work—the Nellie McClung Girls’ Junior High Program, the Oliver Elementary Program and the Oliver School Centre for Children (day care, out-of-school care, and Head Start). |
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Oliver School holds onto its tradition of serving the very diverse cultural population of the surrounding area and yet, at the same time, embraces change and innovation by offering the alternative all-girls’ junior high program—Nellie McClung. |
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As parents, we believe
that young women need time and space to discover and develop their voices,
and strengthen their ability to dream of a future that holds success for
them. A considerable body of research supports single gender education for
girls during the junior high school years. As parents of adolescent girls,
we found ourselves committed both to a strong public school system and to
our daughters. The dual commitment led us to form the Nellie McClung
Educational Society to develop an innovative, single gender education
within the public school domain.
WHAT
DO WE WANT THE YOUNG WOMEN TO ACHIEVE?
Single gender education does not mean isolation. We realized that we need a classroom without walls (metaphorically speaking), and partnerships with the community. The Nellie McClung Girls’ Junior High Program provides the environment to achieve educational objectives in enriching, innovative ways through CEEDS programming. Other opportunities and innovations are only restricted by the length of the school day and time to implement more extensive programs. All of the innovations of the program are based on sound principles of learning. The Nellie McClung Girls’ Junior High Program is not static or written in stone. Indeed, it must continue to evolve. It needs to mirror the changes in education, society and most importantly, the changing needs of our daughters. Each site is unique in its programming approach. We ask you to remain vigilant so that the Nellie McClung Girls’ Junior High Program does not devolve into simply an all girls program with uniforms. The Nellie McClung vision needs to continue to grow. The program is a
partnership, and its continued success needs the active
participation of all of the partners: students, educators, parents, and
the community. The Founders of the Nellie L. McClung Educational Society: Bob Hopchin Julia Nelson John Masson Kathleen McCalla |
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The Nellie McClung Girls’ Junior High Program offers a junior high program
for girls. However, there is more to it than ‘all girls and a uniform’.
Academic achievement for the girls at Nellie McClung is our highest priority. We encourage every student in our program to be the very best she can be. Our program is committed to the development of responsible citizens. We create opportunities for our students to participate in activities that encourage ‘giving back’ to the community. We are committed to developing leadership skills. We encourage our students to take initiative, to be self-reliant and to grow toward healthy independence. We ask them to identify their interests, aptitudes, strengths and areas for growth and to set personal achievement goals. We desire that our students value health and physical fitness. During their three years at Nellie McClung, students develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes which will enable ‘active living’ to be a part of their life and their life long learning. Because we believe that the arts foster creativity as a means to discovery and self-expression, they are an important component of the programming at Nellie McClung. We believe, as well, that the arts serve to strengthen citizenship in the development of ideas, cultural values and a sense of community and are an important part of civilization itself. We believe that it is important to study the achievements and social history of Women, as well as to examine current issues facing women today. By integrating women’s studies into the curriculum we emphasize the value of women’s contributions to society. By providing role models of women who have achieved, we enable the girls at Nellie McClung to believe in their own abilities to achieve, to have dreams, to take risks and to make their dreams reality. Each school has an instructional focus that is embedded in good teaching practices. |
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What distinguishes Nellie McClung from schools with similar objectives is the path we take to reach our goals.
The Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program follows the curriculum and time per subject mandated by Alberta Education. However, the way we organize that time allows for unique programming opportunities which we call CEEDS: Curriculum Enrichment and Extension Days. CEEDS provides an opportunity to bridge classroom learning with the outside world, and to learn and apply innovative learning strategies. During CEEDS activities students may have an opportunity to:
Our goal is to prepare the girls to be responsibly independent by grade nine. They will have opportunities to do research or work outside of the school, in the community, in small groups with and without direct teacher supervision. The CEEDS activities are designed to enable the students to develop skills, confidence and independence to accomplish learning goals. We believe that by removing the 'walls of the school', we may demonstrate the connections between the world of school and the 'outside' world which awaits them. |
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Uniforms
- A school uniform is worn during the school day and at school functions
recommended
by school staff. The primary function of the uniform is to act as a recognizable 'team'
uniform so that the public will know who the students are and understand that they are
about school business whenever they see them.
Uniforms also alleviate issues of socioeconomic difference, peer pressure and competition. Uniforms decrease time in the morning spent on choosing 'what to wear' as well as the large expenditures of money often spent on clothing over the school year. |
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The Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program requires considerable parent involvement.
We believe a collaborative partnership among students, staff, parents, community, business
and learning institutions will maximize student learning.
Parents are active participants in the School Councils at their site as stated by the School Act. All parents of students attending Nellie McClung also automatically become members of the Nellie L. McClung Educational Society. The Society was the originator of the program concept and continues to function for the benefit of the Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program. The Society is responsible for choosing and for providing limited financial assistance to families for uniform and other expenses, for fundraising and for developing business partnerships. We need parents to act as volunteers for various school activities, particularly for CEEDS activities, school trips and special events. Over the course of the school year students may also work with many other skilled adults from the surrounding community who enrich and extend their learning. |
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Many of our students are involved in extracurricular activities organized by their
parents after school and on the weekends. We believe that many valuable learning and
developmental experiences are available to students during this 'after school' time.
Therefore, homework is assigned as the courses require and as the teachers see necessary. Academic rigor is developed through meaningful homework directly related to current classroom instruction that extends and enhances student learning. It is consistently marked and supervised. |
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High standards are set for student achievement and growth based upon the
Alberta
Education Program of Studies. Parents, students and community can expect to be provided
with valid and reliable information about student growth.
At Nellie McClung, a variety of assessment strategies such as: regular written tests, projects, assignments and performance evaluations, are an integral and ongoing part of students' learning experiences. We believe these are essential means to allow teachers and students to monitor growth and to measure success in core and complementary course work. As well, regular testing and feedback allows students to develop the skills they will need as they move toward their future school experiences. |
| The following questions and answers have been assembled by Nellie McClung parents to assist prospective students and parents in making decisions about the Program. | ||
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Is the Nellie McClung Program a private school? |
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No! The Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program is one of the many alternative programs (Programs of Choice) of Edmonton Public Schools. | |
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Does the Nellie McClung Program charge tuition fees? |
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No! However, because of several unique features of the Program, there are certain costs. The students must purchase uniforms at an average cost of about $300.00. (This may sound like a lot, but remember that your daughter will wear it for three years.) Students must also pay approximately $50-$200 per year to cover CEEDS activities and other costs depending on activities chosen. |
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Is there bus service to the sites? |
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Public transit. Many parents are able to share driving responsibilities with other families. | |
| Is the curriculum at Nellie McClung different from other Edmonton Public Junior High Schools? | ||
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No. The core curriculum is the same. | |
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With all the other activities that students do, is there enough time spent on the core subjects? |
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Yes. Our timetable is arranged so that the time spent on core subjects exceeds the minimum standard set by Alberta Education. | |
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What if I want my daughter to attend Nellie McClung, but she is hesitant to do so? |
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The Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program is an alternative program and is not for every student. We feel that both parents and students benefit from being enthusiastic about the Program from the very beginning. The best thing you can do is to find out as much as you can about the Program. You and your daughter should read all the information provided and come to one of the Information Evenings where you will be able to talk to the parents, teachers and students who are now in the Program. | |
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We hope to have given you a sense of the beliefs, programming and organization which guide our program. Only you and your daughter will be able to decide whether the Nellie McClung Girls' Junior High Program is for you. Parents, if you can answer 'yes' to the following questions, we believe it would be ideal!
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Nellie
McClung is an alternative 'program of choice' for junior high girls within
Edmonton Public Schools. The program is offered at the three schools
sites listed below.
To find out more regarding the Nellie McClung program, plan to attend the one of the Information Evenings offered at one of the schools listed below. Information
booklets and Registration packages will be available at the Information
Evenings or may be picked up at the schools between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00
p.m. Monday to Friday, during March.
Click here, to download the
Oliver School 2010-2011 NLM Application Form. |
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Avonmore
School Information Night |
Bannerman
School Information Night |
Oliver
School Information Night |
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