On April 7, the Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees approved permanent names for the division’s two online schools. The elementary/middle school has been named Discovery Trails Online School and the high school is now Summit Trails Online High School.
“These new school names reflect the unique nature of our online educational environments and evoke a sense of exploration and achievement as students progress through each grade,” said Board Chair, Fiona Gilbert. “The Board thanks the many students, families and staff who shared their ideas and helped to generate these new school names.”
The word “trails” reflects the learning journey students embark on beginning in elementary school, and its use in both names creates a connection between the two schools. A sense of continuity is evoked by the two names, with younger students engaging in discovery as they travel towards the summit of their learning in RVS, which culminates in high school before heading off towards new journeys.
The schools have come a long way in building their communities in the seven months they have been open. Establishing permanent names is another important step in building each school’s unique identity.
“The students have played an important role in forming the culture and spirit of the schools as they build friendships with each other, develop connections with their teachers and embrace new ways of learning,” said Superintendent of Schools, Greg Luterbach. “These names and other future elements like logos, colours and school team names will further support students and staff in building community and pride in their school.”
In its first year of operation, Discovery Trails Online School is serving approximately 440 students in Grades 1-9 from across RVS. Summit Trails Online High School has approximately 200 students throughout the division in Grades 10-12. Both online schools look forward to welcoming Alberta students from beyond RVS’ designated areas for the 2022/23 school year. Registration is open now and families are encouraged to explore this online learning option if they think it might be a fit for them. More information can be found on RVS' website.
The new permanent names will now be sent to Alberta Education.
View this announcement as a PDF