The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
"We want to break down the barriers between the school and the families and the community," said Ruth Betts School's Dawn Hill. As of recently, Ruth Betts Schoolhas became a community school. Not just a school anymore, Hill says it gives Ruth Betts a chance "to become more of a hub of the community." While classes will remain at the school untouched, Hill says the new development offers programs for parents as well. "It's almost going to be it's own little community centre," she said. "We're going to be doing lots of different things like skill development for parents and (using) the computers." See 'Building' on pg. Continued from pg. Being a community school, Hill says, will benefit the parents and students of Ruth Betts School. "We're going to have a parent and child room," she said. "If the parents want to come into the school, they have their own little room to relax in Ð like the staff room has their own room." The parent and child room will also benfit those who have small children but are unable to volunteer in their older children's classrooms. "Then we might have someone here to look after their (child) for a while," said Hill. Aside from helping make things easier on parents, Ruth Betts will also offer a community night once a week. In collaboration with the Community Youth Resource Centre, the school will be hosting a gym night for the students. Thursday night, the school opened its doors for their first community event. With roughly 130 people in attendance, Hill said it was a great turnout. "This is just our first community night we're going to have," she said. "We're going to try and have something for everybody." Thursday night's event offered soapstone carving with Irvin Head, skiing at the Flin Flon and Creighton Ski Lodge, food BINGO, a gym night and reading time in the library. Having Ruth Betts become a community school means a tighter knit group at the school. "We want to...build a bridge between everybody so it's easier to access our services and find out what the needs of the community (are)," said Hill. Working with the Community Youth Resource Centre, Hill says it's going to put everyone on the same track. "(Thursday) is their normal night when they come and use the gym so we're partnering with them," she said. "...we have the people, the volunteers and the combined interest. "We kind of cross over in what we're trying to accomplish. So rather than pulling everybody in every direction, we're trying to push them together." Talk buzzing around the staff room and school has left mainly positive feelings. "There is a lot of excitement and there is some concern because change is hard sometimes," Hill said. "So we're going to have our growing pains, but all-in-all, everyone seems to be on board and think it's going to be something really positive."
