New Calgary Catholic school opens, giving teens a second chance at high school

A new Calgary Catholic school isn’t your typical high school, as it is giving students who’ve fallen through the cracks a fresh start.

St. Gemma Outreach School opened its doors in the city’s northeast in a storefront near Sunridge Mall, offering unique learning opportunities to 30 students aged 16-20 in grades 10-12.

But it’s not your traditional high school at only 4,000 square feet, and principal Gordon Macdonald says some of the students had puzzled faces when they finally saw the school.

“So when they arrive and they open the doors, they’re a bit surprised that — this is it, that this is the whole school,” he said with a laugh

“They’re both shocked and pleasantly surprised and … maybe possibly … suspicious in terms of, ‘this is it?'”

Macdonald is one of only five staff members. He tells CityNews regardless of the size, the school gives students who may have fallen off the straight and narrow the chance to re-engage in their learning journey.

“When you look at the students attending, for whatever reason, things have not gone the way they want them to go, and so, it’s really difficult when you make mistakes at 17 and 18 that are going to impact you for the rest of your life

“So we are trying to reengage students — both academically and both social and emotionally — so they can have an impact on society that would be very positive”

He says programs like these help those who’ve endured hardships such as teen pregnancy or run-ins with the law, that may have taken them astray from their educational endeavours.

When a student first signs up, the administration creates specific educational plans around their schedules and learning needs, as oftentimes students hold full-time jobs.

“We set up a flexible schedule for them, we figure out what they need in terms of wrap-around supports, and which classes they need … to continue moving forward,” he said.

The first semester of St. Gemma Outreach is underway.

There are similar schools in Calgary, such as St. Anne Academic Centre and the Calgary Public School Boards’ Discovering Choices campuses. Macdonald hopes St. Gemma will help alleviate the demand on them, and eventually welcome more students depending on how the first semester goes.