REVIEW OF Rosthern Junior College High School BY parent, Megan Quinney

(5) Student Experience

My daughter has had wonderful experiences at RJC. The school has really helped her come out of her shell, as she is very much an introverted person. Her favourite things are the out-of-the-classroom learning experiences they get to have throughout the school year. In her first year, she travelled to Winnipeg with her Grade 10 class and did a second trip with the Singers group. Her Grade 10 class also traveled to Oliver, B.C. Now, these trips may not have been her favourite at the time because she is such a homebody, but she often talks about how grateful she is to have gone on these trips, even if she was a little nervous and scared to be away from home. If you asked her now what she loves about RJC, she would include these amazing school trips she’s been on.

(5) School Leadership

RJC has amazing school leadership. I know that if my daughter had any problems, they would not push any of her concerns aside and would take the right steps to resolve any issues. They have encouraged her to try new activities. I enjoy going to the parent-teacher conferences, and I always bring my daughter with me because I enjoy seeing the trusting relationships she has built with all her teachers. They love to cheer her on in her life achievements, like when she got her first job.

(5) Teaching

We are very happy with the quality of teaching and lesson instruction. I can tell that the teachers are very passionate and knowledgeable about what they are teaching and try to make it fun and exciting for the students. For example, for History, they took a trip out to their outdoor classroom to reenact a war. My daughter had the best time learning about war this way. They challenge her when she needs an extra push to give her best work, and if she needs extra support understanding a lesson, she knows that she can ask for help without being turned down. On sick days, her teachers will email her any assignments she has missed to make sure she stays on schedule and doesn’t fall behind in her studies.

(5) Academics

We are very pleased with the academic program at Rosthern Junior College High School. They offer all the courses needed for high school credits, along with some very fun extras. They do a lot of out-of-classroom learning and have a 40-acre outdoor classroom. They have choir and band trips, field trips, and volunteer trips. My daughter took a class trip to a courtroom for her law class and loved the experience. They don’t just take trips; they are also asked to reflect on their experiences and what they have learned. A lot of my daughter’s friends who have graduated from RJC have had no problems getting accepted into some amazing universities and receiving incredible scholarships. I know my daughter will have amazing opportunities after graduation.

(5) Extracurriculars

There are a lot of extracurricular opportunities available at RJC, and not just for sports. Every student has to sit on a committee that meets weekly, such as Yearbook, Faith and Life, or Outdoor Club, just to name a few. Students are encouraged to join sports teams even if they have never played before. My daughter joined curling last year with a group of girls who had never played, and they had the best time and learned so much.

(5) Students

The student body size is around 100—this next year, they are adding Grade 9s. To me, the general atmosphere is very warm and welcoming; everyone seems to get along. My daughter decided to try RJC after attending a Spend-a-Day and just loved how the students all got along with each other. I feel like the dynamic is very much like a big family—of course, people disagree, but if there are problems, they get resolved. I love their one event called Junior/Senior, where the Grade 11s and 10s celebrate the graduating class. The Grade 12s dress fancy, and the other classes dress in a theme. I also love that the other classes are very involved in graduation at the end of the year.

(5) School Life

My child absolutely loves going to school at RJC. She came from a school where she needed to take a lot of mental health days to get through the school year. Of course, changing schools is always hard, but she said after her first week that although it was a hard week adjusting to the change, it was still better than her last year of school. I mentioned to her at Christmas time that she hadn't taken a mental health day yet, and she said that she doesn't need to take mental health days anymore because she is very happy now. She loves everything about this school, the teachers, the students, and the deans. I am very pleased with how happy RJC has made my daughter. She absolutely loves this school.

(5) Community

I appreciate the weekly emails from the school about upcoming events and reminders. They are very good at keeping their parents informed. I have been asked to help volunteer with a few fundraising events that the school has put on over the last couple of years, and volunteering has helped me get to know some of the other parents in my daughter’s class. I do enjoy going to the parent-teacher conferences to get to know the teachers better. I also enjoy the social media pages that showcase the activities going on on the campus. Can the school provide more opportunities for parental involvement? Maybe they could send out a list of areas where they need volunteers, or a way for other parents to connect with each other.

(5) School Location

Rosthern is a great small town with a lot of amenities. There is a grocery store, a hardware store, an outdoor pool, restaurants, a thrift shop, etc. The shuttle also takes the students on trips to the city (Saskatoon) for movie nights, trips to the zoo, etc. They have a sign-up sheet for these trips. RJC also does a lot of volunteering at our local thrift shop and food bank, and entertains at the seniors’ home with singing and visiting. At RJC, they have an outdoor tennis court, a football field, and a couple of soccer fields.

(5) Admissions

I found the admissions process for joining RJC very easy. The forms were straightforward, and if I had any questions, Alex always replied in a timely manner with answers. They offer school tours and meetings if you need more one-on-one communication. My daughter did the Spend a Day experience a couple of times, which helped her make her decision. There is nothing I would change about the admission process; everything is very easy from start to finish.

(5) University placement and counselling

My daughter is entering grade 12 this fall, so we are at the beginning stages of dealing with university placement and counselling. That being said, I have already received an email from the Vice Principal regarding the application deadline for Sask Polytech, so I feel confident that all the information we need about university programs will be given to us in a timely manner. I know that RJC is great at communicating with parents and guardians. The students take tours of local post-secondary institutions, and the school brings in speakers and representatives from other institutions. They have sessions where students can work on their post-secondary school applications, and staff are available to help if needed. Even though we have not started looking at universities yet, I know that when the time comes, our daughter will be supported by the staff.