As concerned parents of a child who was set to enter the Congregated Gifted Program in September 2024, my husband and I are deeply troubled by the proposed phase-out of the Congregated Gifted Program that is currently offered at St. John Henry Newman and St. Jean Brebeuf schools, along with the Learning Enhancements & Development (LEAD) Program within the Calgary Catholic School District (CSSD).

It is our understanding that beginning in 2024-25 there will be no new grade 7 students accepted into the Congregated Gifted Program. This means that students who are currently in grade 6, who have been coded as Gifted (80) during the current 2023-24 school year and were told that they will be entering the Congregated Gifted Program, will have to look at going to Calgary Board of Education (CBE) or charter schools to address their learning needs.

While parents have yet to receive notification from the school district and we are not aware of any consultation process relating to this decision, it was discussed during a Global TV News story on Feb. 20, 2024. A handful of parents were told by staff from the impacted schools. We have contacted our Trustee who identified that our concerns would be shared with the senior administration team and the Board of Trustees as they seek to develop their budget for the upcoming year. 

We believe that keeping this Diverse Learning program in place would greatly benefit our daughter, as well as, other gifted students set to enter the program and the community at-large. These gifted students are some of the brightest minds in the school district and have the capacity for greatness which may not be allowed to flourish to full potential if they are not allowed to attend a program that supports their specific learning needs, along with their Catholic faith. We are concerned about the long-term impact this decision will have on these children who were told they would be able to attend this program, and in many cases, had to make the difficult decision to leave their home schools, as well as, friend and community groups, in order to be a part of this program.

As parents who have had an older child go through the Congregated Gifted Program, we have seen the benefits of having these like-minded children together. I have been an ambassador for the program, providing parent perspective on why it may be a good fit for gifted children and their families. These children, while having exceptional abilities in specific subject areas and needing content that is more complex, interrelated, abstract or constrained, are also typically the children who, in a regular classroom setting, get singled out for these same qualities; are bullied for them; are shy about them; or in some cases, complete their work quickly and correctly, then go on to distract others or lose interest in school altogether because they are no longer engaged or challenged. By removing the Congregated Gifted Program, the school district is preventing these children from having a sense of belonging, a chance to build their confidence, and the opportunity to recognize their self-worth, particularly during these formative pre-teen years. These children are already faced with so many challenges, like prevalent anxiety, the trappings of social media and online activities, bullying, varying family socio-economic conditions, and others, that it is hard to believe the Calgary Catholic School District is willing to actively place children into potential mental health risk situations by not allowing these children to be with peers who can relate to and even bond with them. The current grade 6 students who were invited to participate in this program will experience the negative affects of having an exciting and beneficial opportunity taken away from them and may feel that the district does not see their value or support their diverse learning needs. In short, this decision by the Calgary Catholic School District exposes gifted learners to harm.

As an active volunteer at St. John Henry Newman School, I am very familiar with the incredibly dedicated teaching and support staff, as well as, the wonderful administration team. We know that the children at the school, including our own, will be cared for to the best of the staff’s ability.

We are concerned about what will happen to the designated Congregated Gifted teachers, in addition to, the fantastic Diverse Learning Coordinator at the school once this program phases out. We are also worried about what impact having children who are coded (like our daughter) will have on lesson plans, particularly as the class sizes at St. John Henry Newman have grown with intake of New Canadians and overflow from communities who do not have capacity in their own schools. Our daughter is currently in a class where there are very few opportunities to receive the enrichment she needs. How will teachers who already have a range of classroom challenges be able to accommodate the needs of our child and those in similar situations?

We are also extremely concerned that children on a different point of the Diverse Learning spectrum will be impacted by the accompanying Learning Enhancements & Development (LEAD) program phase-out. We know children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that have gone through this program and we have seen first-hand how much of a benefit it is to them, their families, their teachers and communities. These children and their teachers face similar challenges as students who are coded as gifted.

Will these students receive support in terms of teaching or education support staff who can dedicate the time needed to meet their needs at every single school where these students are now expected to go across the district? We fear the answer is "no".

This decision impacts more than just the coded students and their teachers. It impacts their peers in the classroom, their families, teachers, educational assistants, support staff, and administration. Classes are simply too large and under-resourced to allow the needs of all of these children to be met in a combined classroom setting. How does this decision support the Calgary Catholic School District’s board priorities of Faith Formation, Students' Successes or Wellness to “ensure each priority area and its goals and focal points are responsive, continuously improving and support our students’ diverse needs”?

If it is a question of funding and priorities, then we have to wonder why the Hockey Skills Program is going to remain in place in 2024-25 at St. John Henry Newman School, while the Congregated Gifted Program is phased out. Does the Calgary Catholic School District endorse the idea that athletics are more important than academics and diverse learning needs in our Catholic schools? We see value in all of these programs.

These Diverse Learning programs are extremely important and beneficial to students in terms of setting them up for success in the future. These programs benefit parents, staff, their peers, and the community at-large by fostering inclusion and supporting the individual needs of these students. We are absolutely stunned that the Calgary Catholic School District is willing to risk losing these bright minds to public or charter schools through this decision.

We implore the decision-makers at the Calgary Catholic School District, including the Board of Trustees to take action to keep the Congregated Gifted and LEAD Programs in place so the gifted children and those with Diverse Learning needs have a place to belong and grow. The Mission and Vision of our school district is “Living and learning in our Catholic faith, so that students, centred in Christ, realize their full potential”. We pray that these students can realize their full potential within the Calgary Catholic School District.

Please sign this petition to save the Calgary Catholic School District Gifted and LEAD Programs from being phased out in 2024/25.