New Chapter in Holden’s History set to Begin

New Chapter in Holden’s History set to Begin

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

A new chapter is set to begin in the history of the Village of Holden with the upcoming opening of the Holden Rural Academy.

The Grade 7-12 public school will be housed in the former school that was operated by the Battle River School Division. Holden Rural Academy Society Chair Karla Janzen said enrolment currently sits at 54 students and they can accommodate 20 more students.

There is no registration fee or deadline to register and no tuition fees at the Charter School. The first day of classes will be held on Sept. 6. The school will operate on a four-day week schedule, with classes from Monday to Thursday.

Currently, the transportation plan is being developed and the busing boundary and fees for students from further away have not yet been confirmed. Janzen said they will be running three buses, covering Beaver County from Lindbrook to Bruce.

Both the school’s superintendent and principal have been hired. Wesley Oginski will serve as Superintendent and Brian Dewar will serve as Principal.

According to his biographical information, Oginski has extensive experience as an educator in Alberta with both large and rural school authorities. He began his teaching career in Dunstable, Alberta which has taken him to northern and southern parts of the province where he worked as a teacher, principal, curriculum manager, supervisor, director and associate superintendent.

“Most recently, he has been seconded to Alberta Education from Northland School Division as a consultant in Teacher and Leadership Certification…His philosophy is that the school needs to work together with students and families to develop an education plan that has clear expectations for academic achievement, and helps students develop career goals.”

Principal Brian Dewar.

(Holden Rural Academy/Submitted Photo)

Principal Brian Dewar began his teaching career as a student teacher in McGill University as curling teacher in the physical education department. From there he moved on to the Northland School Division where he taught special education and then moving into the position as Principal at Lubicon Lake where he stayed for nine years. He has also worked with the Aspen View School Division at its Outreach School.

Additionally, Dewar set up an adult based education and work placement program at the Woodland Cree First Nation. His last position was in an administrative capacity with Northland School Division which he held for three years.

Holden Rural Academy received approval from Alberta’s Education Minister on July 12, 2022. Janzen admits it’s been a “long and arduous” process for the small group of parents and community members that have been pushing their initiative forward for the past few years.

But she added that, “We knew it could be done, but sometimes we grew weary and wondered whether we were adequate to the task. We will continue to work with administration to develop future direction for the school.” Janzen, and fellow board members, are very appreciative of the financial commitment of Beaver County, Village of Holden and Claystone Waste which provided $37,000 in grants for the school. “The grants were generous, highly appreciated and will greatly contribute to enriching the Academy’s programs.”

Wesley Oginski.

(Holden Rural Academy/ Submitted Photo)

The Academy offers place-based education. That means learning will take place in both the classroom and in the community. Core courses will be taught in the morning and students will be able to choose from a variety of projects, many of them off-campus in the afternoon for an eight-week period.

Some of the projects will include: sports, fine arts, automotive and HD mechanics, workshop and construction, culinary skills, apprenticeship and green certificate programs as well as a number of online courses to accommodate a wide variety of interests. Future plans include the development of an all-school project that would incorporate trades, technology, engineering, marketing, research and innovation. For example, students would develop a business plan and work through complex decisions similar to what a small business owner would make, taking ownership of the business from idea to the sale of a physical product. Students will cultivate authentic problem-solving skills, while achieving curricular outcomes in a non-traditional setting. Examples from other schools include small-scale manufacturing, a student-led farm, greenhouse production and design with digital fabrication.

A community barbecue with tours of the school has been scheduled for August 11.