By paNOW Staff

Record graduating class at Duck Lake high school

Jun 21, 2013 | 6:22 AM

Stobart Community School in Duck Lake is doing something right.

Every student that registered for Grade 12 at the beginning of the school year has graduated.

It’s a rare accomplishment, said principal Reg Nicolas. “We’ve had bigger graduating classes in the past but not where we started with everyone and finished with everyone.”

Nicolas credits the students for embracing the education-first message promoted by teachers, parents and community leaders. “Education, especially for the Aboriginal population is the way out and these kids have listened, they’ve bought in and they’re all headed in the right direction,” said Nicolas.

All of the 18 students graduating this year are Aboriginal and the total student body is composed of 92 per cent First Nations and Metis students.

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Stobart Community School has always had a strong tradition of graduating students from this demographic, boasting a graduation rate of 72 percent compared to a 32 per cent rate throughout the rest of the province.

Because of this success, Nicolas is expecting to hear from the province and other school boards over the summer. He and his staff will be examining the strategies used at the school but Nicolas believes they all stem from one guiding principle. “As educators and as a community, we want to see success for our kids and our kids just happen to be Aboriginal kids.”

For most of the graduating class, their education will continue next fall at post-secondary institutions. “All of these students have a plan to go on, one will be going to the University of British Columbia, one has been accepted at U of S in engineering, another one in the police force, another as a paramedic, it just goes on and on,” said Nicolas.

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