Red Deer Regional Catholic Schools will be offering a new online middle school this spring. The program will replace the Division’s At-Home Learning Program and hosted at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School.

The new online middle school program, which is similar to the current Division high school program, is designed to provide students an opportunity to choose online learning and will be designated as a program-of-choice within Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools. Due to low enrollment in At-Home Learning program for younger students, the service will not be offered in elementary grades.

“Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is committed to delivering quality Catholic education where innovation and inquiry drive learning. The new online learning community being formed at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School will meet students where they are and develop and support them in their personal journey to where they need and want to be. This development is yet one more example of how technology and our innovative people at RDCRS are continuing to advance our mission, inspired by Christ and aspiring to excellence, where all are welcome and all belong,” says Kim Pasula, Board Chair at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.

The At-Home Learning program will also no longer be in operation due to low enrollment. The program was always intended to be a temporary program created to mitigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We want to ensure families continue to have a choice to learn online and we look forward to the expansion of the Division’s successful high school online model to the middle school level, where we hope to continue to offer students significant ways to personalize their learning path,” said Ryan Sawula, Associate Superintendent of Curriculum at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.    

Families interested in learning more about the online middle school program are encouraged to attend the upcoming virtual open house on Tuesday, May 3rd starting at 6:30 p.m.