Student Services

Background information regarding this new locally developed course in Chinook’s Edge:

Schools throughout Chinook’s Edge are enthusiastic about the division’s new locally developed SEW 15 course. This is an Alberta Education approved, mandatory 50 hour three credit course for all Grade 10 students in Chinook’s Edge - the first of its kind in Alberta! This course is the result of the work of Dr. Marcie Perdue, Associate Superintendent of Student Services in Chinook’s Edge, and her creation of a layered approach to protecting and enhancing the mental health of students and staff throughout our division. The Social Emotional Wellbeing priority in Chinook’s Edge began with the Board’s investment of approximately $1.2 million over three years to hire six Social Emotional Specialists to work collaboratively in addressing an escalating prevalence of disruptive student mental health issues that were impacting teachers and classrooms. From there Dr. Perdue researched, created and facilitated a SEW training program for all staff in the division, to ensure that every person working with students became fully versed in the culture of a SEW-supportive classroom. Lastly, Dr. Perdue and the division’s ‘SEW Team’ (involving other professionals from the Student Services team) has developed the unique SEW 15 course. The lesson development was guided by a teacher steering committee, and the next step of the SEW journey in Chinook’s Edge is to develop lessons and assessments to support a SEW curriculum designed for Pre-K to Grade 9 students.

There are 425 students from four Chinook’s Edge high schools involved in the pilot ‘SEW 15’ course in fall 2022: Bowden Grandview, École H.J. Cody (Sylvan Lake), Innisfail High and Hugh Sutherland (Carstairs). The learning is focused in five areas: self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. 

The SEW 15 course began to take shape in 2020, when a series of factors combined to create a notable depth of mental health challenges that students were dealing with in the classroom. From covid-caused learning disruptions and isolation to a deepening impact of social media and the changing nature of family life, students were arriving at school facing a growing complexity of mental and social emotional hurdles that needed to be addressed before they could achieve success in learning. This was not only causing personal challenges for the student involved, it was alarming and disruptive to entire classrooms. Chinook’s Edge staff were striving to help these students in their time of need, while still moving learning forward for all students. It was becoming an almost impossible task, which was when the Board of Trustees saw the need for an additional focus on Social Emotional Wellbeing. The Board and Central Office Leadership Team supported the series of initiatives because they knew it was in the best interest of over 11,000 students that Chinook’s Edge serves. 

Our locally developed SEW 15 course for Grade 10 students, is now available for schools throughout Alberta to implement for their own students. Empowering young people with the skills to grow as individuals will allow all students to learn together and reach their full potential. SEW 15 will allow our students, staff and schools to thrive, and Chinook’s Edge is pleased to be partners in creating solutions for students, staff and families.

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The Family School Wellness Program is an important part of our healthy Chinook’s Edge school community. Our focus is providing support to children and families facing social, emotional or family difficulties. This may include information and referrals, student and/or family support, targeted small groups to promote student growth, preventative programming, and parenting support.

Our program is a joint partnership between Child and Family Services, municipal Family Community Support Services and Chinook's Edge School Division. To discuss how our Family School Wellness Program (FSW) can support your family, please contact the FSW Worker in your child's school. Our program requires parental / guardian consent, and parent/family involvement is important to us.

The Clinical Team Lead for the FSW program in Chinook’s Edge is Angela Gurski, under the direction of Associate Superintendent of System Services, Karyn Barber.