Ecole Manachaban Middle School
Grades 5 to 8 - Located in the Town of Cochrane
Principal: Thomas ElbelAddress: 724 Chiniki Drive
School ProfileGrade Configuration: Grades 5-8
Google Map: View Interactive Map Education Plan2011-2014 — School Education Plan Quotes from Parent Advocates“One of most positive things about Manachaban over the past four years, in my experience, is the amount of commitment the teachers have made towards their students. There is an incredible amount of effort put towards creative learning opportunities. It started in grade 5 with the camp experience (science related), and peaked this year with the Quebec experience. I can't think of a better way to learn about Canadian history. These are but only two examples, and there are numerous others. I appreciate the massive amount of extra work these field trips are, but I know they are the highlights of Manachaban for my kids. Thanks for all the extra hours over the years!” S.M., Grade 7 and 8 parent “My eldest daughter entered Grade 5 this year, making this a new experience for our family. The orientation for the Grade 5 students the day before school began was a valuable way to ease the transition for both students and parents. Communication between the school, teachers and home was abundant and effective. I appreciate the staff designing activities that are "hip" for their adolescent student body. The busking during Terry Fox week, the afternoon dance with an "awesome" dj., spirit days, and the off-campus activity day are examples of connecting and spirit building with their young students. The student recognition ceremonies are a contemporary celebration with funky music and fun photos to honor students' in - school and out-of- school achievements. Something I must highlight is the relationship my daughter has with her teachers. She proudly admits that she loves her teachers and they are friendly, funny, and nice. This connection is paramount and is the foundation of a great school experience.” T.L., Grade 5 parent
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How do we define success for Manachaban students?Success for us means that students in our school feel confident about themselves in who they are. One of the areas that we consider a pillar of middle school philosophy is resilience. In our minds, there are two major subgroups to resilience that are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but that can exist by themselves. The two areas are: academic and social resilience. Academic resilience means that students in our school achieve the best they can be for who they are at the time. The outcomes for this are set for us by Alberta Education. Within our circle of influence however is how we address the outcomes and the strategies we use to prepare the best path of success for each student. Many field trips, real-life experiences. exploratory courses and strong relationships amongst staff and students are foundational conditions that will lead to academic resilience and academic success as a result. Social resilience means that students navigate successfully the changing patterns of social interaction that are so frequently found within this age group. Students experience the greatest emotional and physical changes at this age, second only to ages of 1 and 3. The difference here is that students are very conscious of those changes. What is often lacking, and what we striving to provide, is knowledge, skills, and attitudes that allow for successful navigation of these uncharted waters. Ultimate success then means that students, to the best of their ability, achieve growth in both academic and social resilience and their competence within those areas. What makes our school good and how do we know?In order to answer this question we have solicited input from parents, students and staff. We have considered the many conversations we have throughout the year and have collected evidence that allows us to make a reliable judgment about how good our school is. While some of the evidence indicates that we are good, there is also evidence that we are great at numerous aspects. Good: Our PAT result have shown improvement over the past year. Great: We have welcomed numerous new students who were looking for a "fresh start". To date, without exception we have successfully integrated these students into our Manachaban fold. Great: Out of classroom experiences for students. Good: Infusion of technology into daily instruction. All classrooms have Smartboards and our daily rounds indicate that this technology is used by all, albeit at differing levels.
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