Domain School a small treasure

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This article was published 06/06/2016 (3648 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stacey Enns and Jan Erb, Home and School Committee members for Domain School, can’t say enough good things about the two-classroom school their children attend.

“The thinking here (at Domain School) is outside the box,” Enns said. “It is absolutely phenomenal. It functions like a big family.”

Her oldest daughter Carleigh left the school when she finished Grade 8, and her other children Kyle, Tria and Quinn are now in Grades 8, 6 and 4 respectively. Erb’s daughter Jenna is also a Domain School alumna, and her sons Logan and Zach are in Grades 8 and 6 respectively.

Domain School now has 18 students, from eight families, who are divided into kindergarten to Grade 4 and Grades 5 to 8. The kindergarten students attend full days on Monday,

Wednesdays and alternate Fridays. There are two full-time teachers — with one serving as principal — and additional support from educational assistants.

The Home and School Committee recently placed ads in local publications to encourage parents in surrounding communities, such as La Salle, Ste. Agathe, Oak Bluff and Sanford, to consider applying to have their children attend Domain School.

“We like to keep the attendance number at about 25,” Enns said. “The advertising was placed to up our enrolment by a little bit.”

The school lies within the Red River Valley School Division. Superintendent Pauline Lafond-Bouchard said the school’s enrolment fluctuates, and has been as high as over 30.
She applauds the efforts of the Domain School parents, saying “they do a lot of things for the kids. It’s a good little school.”

While parents might think that their child will miss out on opportunities available to students at larger schools, Enns said she believes this isn’t true.

The Domain students are able to learn to skate at the rink across the road, curl at the La Salle club, and travel to the University of Manitoba to use the pool and gym once a week, where they can also try archery, fencing and other sports. Enns said a guitar teacher offers lessons for the older students, and a piano teacher might be hired in future. The school is a regular stop for Artists in the Schools program participants, with evidence of this found in the colourful mural that artist Annie Bergen helped the students paint in the school’s basement. Students also participate in community events like the annual Remembrance Day service and Domain Players’ dinner theatre production. They have raised funds for an international relief program that digs wells in India.

Erb, who works in health care, said she feels the school’s small size eliminates bigger school problems like bullying and social isolation. When the Grade 8 students graduate, they are better prepared to withstand the peer pressure of high school.

“The kids are given such a strong foundation here,” she said.

Another positive aspect for both mothers is the ability to take active roles within the school and work with the staff to quickly resolve any problems.

“It’s a team effort between parents and the school,” Erb said.

Situated just 10 kilometres north of Domain School, La Salle Community School  enrolment is at capacity. An addition with nine classrooms has been approved by the Public School Finance Board, but no project start date has been made public. Enns and Erb said a school bus already runs between the two communities, and with new subdivisions taking shape, they feel that they might gain a few students from La Salle.

La Salle is located within Seine River School Division, and superintendent Michael Borgfjord said parents must apply to have their child attend school in another division. The application deadline for the 2016-17 school year was May 31. The division isn’t obligated to provide transportation for students attending schools outside of their division.

Enns said, in the past, students from La Salle have attended in Domain, so it is possible. She acknowledged that switching schools within the same division is an easier process.

A tour of Domain School can be arranged by calling the school at 204-736-4083.

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