La Loche Community School
| La Loche Community School | |
|---|---|
 Dene High School  Ducharme School | |
| Location | |
| La Loche, Saskatchewan, S0M 1G0, Canada | |
| Information | |
| School board | Northern Lights School Division #113 |
| Principal | Stephen King |
| Staff | 110 |
| School type | Public |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Language | English |
| Team name | La Loche Lakers |
| Colours | Yellow, Blue and White |
| Founded | 1941 |
| Enrollment | 900 |
| Homepage | La Loche Community School |
La Loche Community School is located in the village of La Loche in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The school consists of two campuses. One campus, Ducharme School (56°28′56″N 109°26′18″W / 56.48222°N 109.43833°W), offers kindergarten to grade six; and the other, Dene High School (56°29′18″N 109°26′43″W / 56.48833°N 109.44528°W), offers grades seven to twelve. The school has an enrollment of 900 students and a support staff of 110.[1]
The majority of the students are bilingual and speak both Denesuline and English.[2]
History
Ducharme School
The first school of La Loche was a one room whitewashed log building set on a loose stone foundation. It was built by Aime Janvier and Little Joe Montgrand in 1940 by the lake on the grounds of the present Ducharme School. The first teacher in 1941 was Mr. Klotz followed by Alex Sapowski in 1942.[1] Called the La Loche Community Day School this school had 23 students in 1942 and 47 students in 1944. [1]
The school was renamed Ducharme School in honour of Father J. B. Ducharme O.M.I.. Father Ducharme who was fluent in French, English and Denesuline served the La Loche Mission from 1916 to 1949. He taught basic school courses including Dene syllabics and catechism in the rectory until the first school was built.[1]
Another school built in 1946 had two classrooms. Another classroom was added in 1951 then another in 1955. In 1949 the school had 80 students and in 1956 the school had 119 students.[1]
In 1963 a four room school was built to replace the one built in 1946. The school had grades one to eight with up to 180 students.[1] In 1967 Ducharme School had twelve classrooms. In 1969 Ducharme School had 125 students in grade one but only 3 students in grade eight.
Dene High School
In 1974 only two schools in northern Saskatchewan offered a grade 12 education. When Dene High School was built in 1979 students no longer had to leave the village to complete their high school education.[1] High school students from the nearby villages of Clearwater River and Turnor Lake attended Dene High School until their schools were able to offer a complete high school program.
Activities
Students from the school have taken part in educational program at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in Saskatoon on two occasions, looking at effects of acid rain on the local environment.[3][4] In May 2012 La Loche Community School students became the first to use the purpose-built educational beamline at the synchrotron.[3]
Athletics
Archery, wrestling, volleyball, basketball and ice hockey are some of the more popular sports.
Notable alumni
- Alwyn Piche won the Saskatchewan Young Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2004 playing for the La Loche Lakers volleyball team [5] and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year (MVP) in 2009 and 2013 playing for the Keyano College Huskies in Fort McMurray.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "History of La Loche (Education)". 2013-05-03.
- ↑ "Statistics Canada". 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Northern Exposure: Students from Saskatchewan's North do synchrotron science". October 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
- ↑ "Experiment teaches students hands-on chemistry curriculum". 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
- ↑ "La Loche Volleyball Player Honoured At Gala". Retrieved 2013-06-12.
- ↑ "Piche named Canadian MVP". March 6, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-12.