At Valhalla Community School it is our firm conviction that we must effectively develop in our students the competencies for engaged thinkers and ethical citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Values and Beliefs The Valhalla School Foundation (VSF) views rural education as possessing unique and beneficial characteristics with the potential to maximize student learning.
Value 1 The VSF recognizes the central role of parent and guardian in the life of a child and therefore sees itself as a partner commissioned to foster academic success as part of the overall process of child development.
Value 2 Because rural life is rooted in an entrepreneurial culture, bolstered by sharing and supportive relationships, rural students develop unique, personal ties to members of their family and community. As such, the connectedness of a community has a significant impact on the “parent-orientation”* of a child and, by extension, contributes to their success in school.
*reference “Hold on to Your Kids” by Gordon Neufeld
Value 3 The VSF holds strongly to the belief that rural schools must provide students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for success in both urban and rural settings.
Value 4 The VSF believes the unique aspects of rural education that distinguish it from its urban cousin, call for a diligent focus on structured teaching practices that maximize opportunities for all students in the rural classroom.
Value 5 The VSF believes that the long-term goal of rural education is to develop the skills, knowledge and values that will enable students to become strong and contributing leaders of tomorrow.
Value 6 The VSF views self-confidence as a product of competence. With this in mind, it commits to student success in academics and leadership in an atmosphere of supportive encouragement.
Value 7 The VSF believes that mastery of outcomes through effective grouping of students leads to success for all.
VCS is a K to 9 school that serves the population in an area of 3600 km2 around the hamlet of Valhalla Centre. The student population varies between 90 and 110 students. Students are introduced to the VCS direct instruction model of teaching and learning through a phonics based reading and writing program immediately in kindergarten. The highly structured and sequenced approach to education meets with very high levels of parent satisfaction, increasing levels of academic success on the part of students, and increasing registration numbers in early elementary school.