Welcome to the Programs section of this website. This section will provide details about the programs offered at our school and, depending on availability, may include regular, alternative, special education or other program information. Select from the menu below to read more.
Welcome to Allendale School! Our Regular Academic Program is open to all students within our attendance area, and we cover all aspects of the Alberta Program of Studies. Our focus is on the core subjects of Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Still, we also offer Physical Education, a second language, Health, and a variety of complementary courses to round out our students' education.
At Allendale, academic achievement is our top priority. We expect our students to do their best in all their coursework and pursuits, and our students consistently perform above the provincial average on Provincial Achievement Tests. All of our students are required to take a Second Language course and participate in our Physical Education program, which helps to ensure a well-rounded education.
In addition to our strong academic program, we offer a range of extracurricular activities, including intramural sports, noontime activities, after-school clubs, and a variety of Fine Arts and CTS Options. Our homeroom activities also focus on citizenship, character development, and bullying prevention. We have a competitive and diverse junior and senior athletic program and numerous student leadership opportunities. Our school is also equipped with updated technologies to support learning.
We are proud to have an outstanding student body, made up of motivated and respectful individuals. Our staff is friendly, highly educated, and understanding, and we enjoy strong support from our parents and community. At Allendale, we believe that our combination of academic excellence, extracurricular opportunities, and supportive community make us the ideal choice for your child's education.
The Cogito Alternative Program at Edmonton Public Schools is an advanced academic program that covers everything in the Alberta curriculum at a faster pace, allowing students to delve into more complex concepts. This program is based on whole-group, teacher-directed instruction in a structured setting and provides an enriched curriculum with a focus on phonics, spelling, grammar, and computational and problem-solving skills. Homework is an integral part of the Cogito program.
One of the advantages of the Cogito program is the more structured, distraction-free environment. Expectations for both achievement and behaviour are clearly communicated to students and parents.
Some of the unique characteristics of the Cogito program include its enriched curriculum, sequenced knowledge content, focus on attention and concentration, early literary development through phonics instruction, strong mental and written math skills, and a classical approach to teaching. Teachers use direct, whole-group interaction, and a strong work ethic is expected from students. Parental support is also a crucial part of the program.
All students have the opportunity to study either French or German to fulfill second language requirements. The Cogito program has a liberal arts focus, providing a balanced education in the humanities, sciences, and fine and practical arts, which will be of enduring value for students. Through high standards and high expectations, the Cogito program prepares students for a wide range of future academic, professional, and skilled employment opportunities.
Students will be assessed on both the Alberta curriculum and Cogito outcomes. Progress report marks will be based on the student's achievement of the Alberta Program of Studies, while assessment of Cogito outcomes will be reported in the comments section of progress reports in the form of comments and/or marks. The exception to this is History, which will be reported as a separate course.
The Cogito program in Language Arts complements the Alberta Program of Studies and puts an emphasis on the study of classic literature, including works by Shakespeare when appropriate. Classic literature provides students with a strong foundation for understanding references in future studies and serves as excellent models for their own writing. Students also improve their writing skills through explicit instruction in English grammar and vocabulary development. Depending on availability, students may have the opportunity to attend live theatre performances.
The Cogito Math Program expands upon the Alberta Program of Studies to provide students with a deeper and richer understanding of the subject. It is designed to develop critical thinking skills and prepare students for real-world problem solving. Emphasis is placed on understanding foundational principles of numbers, number relationships, and accuracy in performing basic operations, which are essential for problem-solving and other sophisticated math applications. The program is further enhanced with a locally developed geometry course that includes the history of geometry, constructions, triangles, circles, trigonometry, and proofs. Students use manipulatives to deepen their understanding of math concepts.
The Cogito Social Studies program covers the Alberta Program of Studies and is taught within the context of History. To further enhance student appreciation of history, the program is enriched by the addition of separate History courses in Grade Seven, Eight, and Nine. Students have instruction in History for two blocks during a six-day rotation based on locally designed History courses. These courses include a survey of world history from pre-historic times to approximately 1500 C.E., a survey of world history from approximately 1500 C.E. to the contemporary era, and an introduction to the military history of Canada and its role in international conflicts.
The Cogito Science program provides students with numerous opportunities to develop strong laboratory skills and connect scientific concepts to real-life situations. By covering the Alberta Program of Studies at an accelerated pace, Cogito students have more time for hands-on experiments that apply and enrich the topics studied. Projects focus on the ideas and discoveries of famous scientists, past and present, as they relate to class material. Cogito students learn to apply the steps of the Scientific Method, often designing and conducting their own investigations and refining their processes. Through this program, Cogito students cultivate strong problem-solving and reasoning skills while engaging in exciting learning experiences.
The Interactions programming at Edmonton Public Schools supports students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD impacts a person's understanding of what they see, hear, and sense and can cause difficulties with communication, social relationships, behaviour, and learning. While some students with ASD perform at grade level, many have uneven or delayed achievement.
The goals of the Interactions program are to improve communication, social interaction, and behavior while developing academic skills. Some of the benefits of the program include growth in communication skills, growth in building and maintaining relationships and understanding social situations, growth in managing frustration and problem-solving, and improved ability to handle changes or challenging emotions. The program also focuses on developing life skills to support independent living and employment.
The Interactions program is delivered in a structured environment with regular routines and smaller classes for more targeted instruction. Visual aids, concrete examples, and hands-on activities are used, and frequent praise and other meaningful rewards are employed to help students adopt positive behaviors and attitudes. Students also have the opportunity to join other classes for instruction in their areas of strength.
To be eligible for the Interactions program, students must be clinically diagnosed with ASD and demonstrating stereotyped behaviors and severe impairment in social interactions and communication. For more information about eligibility and special education programming options, contact your child's school.
All programming at Edmonton Public Schools is based on the Alberta curriculum determined by Alberta Education. Students enrolled in the Interactions program will receive the same high-quality education offered in all of our programs.
Most schools offering special education programming have yellow busing options available. For more information about transportation, contact your child's school or call Student Transportation at 780-429-8585.
Allendale School is proud to be the only junior high school in Edmonton that offers the German Bilingual Program. Students from the elementary German Bilingual program typically continue their studies at Allendale, but students with a strong background in German are welcome to enroll as well. The program fosters an appreciation for the culture and language of the German people, and a highlight is the annual grade eight Germany Exchange trip.
The English-German Bilingual Program was established in 1978 as an experimental program in response to parent demand for their children to grow up with German as a strong second language. The program was so successful that it was extended to include junior high and senior high school.
The goals of the Bilingual Program are to achieve challenging, age-appropriate academic skills and knowledge in both English and German, to attain advanced levels of functional proficiency in both languages, and to understand and appreciate cross-cultural differences.
The program is organized so that 50% of the curriculum is taught in German and 50% in English. Students are taught the same curriculum as their peers in the same grade level. During German instructional time, the target language (German) is the dominant language in the classroom, with very little English being used. This immersion approach helps students learn to understand, speak, read, and write German naturally and without undue stress. The classroom climate is warm and accepting, and the teacher is appreciative and supportive of the students' efforts to communicate in German. Error correction is done gently and tactfully, and students are encouraged to express themselves in German at any level of skill. The Edmonton Public School Board has developed a German Language Arts Curriculum that outlines the skills taught at each grade level.
In this immersive language setting, students learn by listening and participating in activities, rather than relying on translation. The teacher uses techniques such as gestures, mimes, and appropriate intonation to facilitate understanding. Audio-visual aids and concrete materials are also used. Students develop a passive vocabulary quickly and their active vocabulary expands daily. Each target language session begins with a period of passive exposure to the language before students are expected to produce language themselves. It is important to get students "thinking" in the target language.
To ensure that languages are not mixed, the target language is taught in one long block of time, allowing for more natural language production. In this setting, students are able to develop their listening skills and gain cultural experiences. Parent involvement is also encouraged, including participation in events such as the German Christmas concert, German Easter celebration, and Schützenfest. The program has a low teacher-to-student ratio and small class sizes to ensure individual attention for each student.