St. Thomas More Ringette Academy

Who Should Attend a Ringette Academy?

The academy is for all levels of player, from girls who simply love the game to those who excel at an elite level.

The program is designed for kids who love or need to be active. It is for multi-sport/activity individuals who want the opportunity to get better at ringette but also be exposed to other sports like bouldering, pickle ball, volleyball, swimming and so on. On any given week the athletes are on the ice 2 or 3 times with the opportunity to participate in fitness actives and other sports.  The fitness days have been a positive experience for our daughters as they are learning about basics of staying healthy and living an active lifestyle. They are learning how to ride a stationary bike for fitness and basics of weight training.   If you have a child that loves being active or requires an active life style this program is for you.  

In junior high, there is no recess and there are less opportunities to run around a lunch to burn off steam. This is an opportunity to keep your child's body moving throughout the day and promotes a long-term healthy lifestyle by helping to create good activity habits. When our children come home from school, they are happy and hungry having been very physically active in school as well as academically challenged in a positive manner. 

If you child simply loves ringette and/or being active this academy is a great option.

 

 

Where is St Thomas More?

St. Thomas More is conveniently located just north of the Whitemud and is accessible from the 170th St exit or the 159th St. Exit.  at 9610 165St NW. It is 5-minute drive from the Whitemud.

 

 

How does it work?

The academy is the equivalent of the health, physical education program, and two out of three options and in runs in the afternoons. Kids in academies complete all their core subjects and one option of their choice in the mornings and then participate in academy 4 afternoons per week, which includes both on and off ice opportunities. Thursday is early dismissal at approximately noon so there is no academy on Thursdays.

 

Do I have to be in the catholic school system now?

No you do not.  If you are currently in the public school system you can register your child in the catholic school system. We have parents who have younger children in the public school system and older child in the ringette academy. This has not been an issue as the school systems have overlapping school breaks and PD days, with less PD days than the public school system due to the noon dismissal on Thursdays.

 

Do you need to be in Grade 7?

No! You can join the academy in any grade and we encourage you to think about it if your child is entering Grade 8 or 9 and is looking for a change or just an opportunity to be more active.  Friendships happen quickly as the ringette players are together every afternoon, 4 days a week.

 

 

Why has it been such a positive experience for us?

For our daughters, both the academy and the school have been a very positive experience.  In September, being new to a school, our daughters found an immediate friendship group through the academy and strengthened those from the past year. While junior high can typically be a time where finding a positive social group can be challenging, our experience has been the opposite, with the girls being a positive force for each other. 

The level of activity is just right. The girls get exercise at school, they get to try new sports, and they get to skate with great ringette coaches. Currently they primarily skate with Coach Morgan and we hear glowing reviews on a daily basis from the girls. We have also seen drastic improvement in the girls skill level and confidence over a short time.

 

More importantly, it has genuinely increased confidence both on and off the ice for these girls and has allowed our girls some freedom in the evenings to pursue other sports or activities and the opportunity to pursue in-school sports such as basketball or volleyball if they so choose.

 

As an aside our own personal experience with the teachers has been fantastic. It is a very engaged group of teachers.

 

What about academics?

For parents looking for a stronger academic program, it also exists at St. Thomas More.  Students can also apply for the enhanced academic program. Many of the students participate in both the enhanced academic program and the various academies.

 

Other reasons to consider St. Thomas More Ringette Academy?

 

Girls in Sport- Over 60% of girls quit sport during puberty. By the age of 14 many girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys. With factors including not being being good enough at a school sport so losing out on school sport opportunities, and lacking a positive environment in which to participate. The ringette academy gives girls the opportunity to be active in a school setting in sports regardless of their skill level. It is a positive environment that gives girls confidence in their strengths and abilities.

 

Ice Availability in Edmonton-  As most of us have seen, ice in Edmonton is tough to get and unlikely to change. Skating through the academy does two things: 1. It ensures that your child is getting a couple of days on the ice every week, which greatly increases skating, shooting and passing abilities.  2. It frees up evenings to pursue other activities if they have other interests either in sports or in the arts.  

We have found that with the combination of the Edmonton Ringette ice times and academy ice times, a typical week is  3- 4 times on the ice per week, with the odd 5 day week if your Edmonton Ringette team is participating in a tournament.

 

Promotes the sport of ringette- As we all know ringette is a great sport, but it is tough for it to get air time due to being in a hockey dominated city. St. Thomas More has taken the step to include ringette as an academy but to be sustained and survive and to allow a program to develop at St. Francis Xavier, it needs Edmonton parents to support it. It is a way to help our sport grow.

 

Direct Quotes from the girls:

M, Age 13, Gr.8- The academy is really fun!  I really like the girls and I like being on ice at school. I love having more time after school to hang out with friends and I like that I can play other sports at school too!! I love coach Morgan and Tory and I know that I getting to be a better player. 

P, Age 12, Gr. 7-  STM is helping me achieve my goals on and off the ice. I love my coaches and being able to play the sport I love.  

 

 

If this at all interests you and you want to hear more from parents or the girls themselves, please reach out to Lasha Shesky at lshesky@shaw.ca. The girls currently in the program are eager to share their experiences as well, so if your child wants to speak directly to a participant in the program that option is available. The program also offers shadow days, which can be organized through the director Wade Burt.

 

Alternatively you can reach out directly to Wade Burt at - david.burt@ecsd.net or 780-484-2434 for more information.

We also encourage you to attend the open house on February 16th at 6:30pm at St. Thomas More.