Q&A

Following the recent motions passed by The Board of Trustees, division communications has prepared a short Q&A for families with questions regarding the transition of grade 6, and the future of French Immersion. 

If you have a question you would like added to this Q&A please email communications@mhcbe.ab.ca.

What changes can we expect for École St. John Paul II School over the next 3 years?

• Grade 6 Program at St. Mary’s School: Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, St. Mary’s School will introduce a Grade 6 program for both English and French Immersion students.
• École John Paul II School transition to K-5: École John Paul II School will transition from a K-6 to a K-5 school, effective in the 2025-2026 school year.
• Move of French Immersion elementary program: K-6 French Immersion will move to it’s new home in the St. Mary’s School building in the fall of 2027 (following the opening of Holy Trinity Academy). 

Where will my child go to middle school?

Students living in the ESJPII attendance zone, are zoned for St. Mary’s School and are eligible for school bus transportation to St. Mary’s School.

If the student resides in the Notre Dame Academy attendance zone, they will be zoned for Notre Dame Academy. 

Students registered in an academy or specialty program such as French Immersion, are eligible to receive city-wide school bus transportation if they live outside the school’s boundary. 

Please take a moment to view the School Boundaries Map 2024-2025 to learn more. 

What will the transition to grade 6 look like for my child?

Beginning in the 2025-26 school year grade 6 will be relocated to St. Mary’s School, resulting in École St. John Paul II School becoming a K-5 school.

The transition will be as smooth as possible with support from our school administration as well as the staff at Notre Dame Academy and St. Mary’s School.

Will my child and I have an opportunity to see the middle school before the end of the school year?

Open houses and school tours will be offered at both middle schools in January and all families interested in attending are welcome to join. Students will also have administrators come to the school in January to talk to grade 5/6 students about their schools and programs offered. 

• St. Mary’s School - January 23 from 6:30-8:30 pm
• Notre Dame Academy - January 27 from 6:00-8:00 pm

What programs are available to students at St. Mary’s School?

• Regular Stream - with a wide variety of option classes (gr 7-9)! *grade 6 students will be offered "Exploratory Options" where students get to experience many of the options that will become available to them in Grade 7.*
• Fine Arts Academy
• French Immersion
• Alternative Programming

What programs are available to students at Notre Dame Academy?

• • Baseball/Softball Academy
  • Golf Academy
  • Hockey Academy
  • Soccer Academy
  • Volleyball/Basketball Academy
  • Multi-Sport Academy

Will my child stay in the same physical classroom at St. Mary’s while the teachers come to them? 

Students will each receive a lock and a locker and will move between several classrooms throughout the day, depending on their program. 

Will there be a variety of spaces inside the school for my child to feel safe during the day (before school, lunch break, etc)?

Students will have a homeroom, a homeroom teacher, and their lockers will be nearby.

Students will have their homeroom teacher for Religion and likely other classes throughout the day. They will also eat lunch in their homerooms.

St. Mary's School has multiple spaces available for students to use during unstructured time, depending on their wants and needs. These include our library, Student Advising office, HUB (a safe-space staffed with our Resource and Resiliency Worker), gym, and some classrooms. 

Will my child's grade 6 timetable look similar to that if they had remained at ESJPII school?

All academic content will remain the same.

St. Mary’s School runs a A/B, 7 period daily schedule. To see an example, please refer to the school's current Parent-Student Handbook.

Students choosing Academy programming will have slightly different schedules. Students in the Regular Program and French Immersion Program will receive Exploratory Options programming designed to expose students to the wide variety of options available to them once they enter Grade 7.  See our Grades 7-9 option classes.

What does the future of French Immersion look like in Medicine Hat Catholic schools?

The division plans to transition the elementary French Immersion program to the St. Mary's School building in the fall of 2027, following the opening of our new K-9 Catholic school, Holy Trinity Academy.

The division’s commitment to supporting the growing K-12 French Immersion program begins with giving the program the proper space to grow.

In the fall of 2027, the locations of the Medicine Hat Catholic French Immersion program will be as follows:

• Grades K-6 French Immersion: St. Mary’s School
• Grades 7-9 French Immersion: Holy Trinity Academy
• Grades 10-12 French Immersion: Monsignor McCoy High School

Can my child be registered in French Immersion and Fine Arts Academy at the same time?

No, but French Immersion students will have the opportunity to take option classes in grades 7-9!

Grade 6 students will be offered "Exploratory Options" for students to experience many of the options that will become available to them in Grade 7.

Who do I contact to learn more?

If you have any questions about these changes listed above, please do not hesitate to contact the Catholic School Board Office at 403-527-2292 or via email at info@mhcbe.ab.ca.