Back to Elk Point schools – including former students from college and outer space

ELK POINT – The 2026-27 school year is now underway, with the lineup of buses unloading students at both Elk Point Elementary School and F. G. School buses were back on the roads on Monday, Aug. 31, delivering students to Elk Point Elementary School and F. G. Miller High School, with early morning traffic on 51 St. also including parents dropping off students and many young pedestrians heading to their first classes of the year. 1 / 1 School buses were back on the roads on Monday, Aug. 31, delivering students to Elk Point Elementary School and F. G. Miller High School, with early morning traffic on 51 St. also including parents dropping off students and many young pedestrians heading to their first classes of the year. Advertisement ELK POINT – The 2026-27 school year is now underway, with the lineup of buses unloading students at both Elk Point Elementary School and F. G. Miller High School punctuated by family vehicles dropping off students while in-town youngsters arrived on foot on Aug. 31 for their first day back at the books. F. G. Miller High principal Colin Bjorkman welcomed back teacher Tasia Owen, returning from maternity leave, and Brett Lindquist, also returning from a one-year leave, and also welcomed former student Andrew Richer, as one of two education assistants joining this year's staff, along with newcomer Pamela Brousseau, who comes from the Lloydminster Catholic School Division and has over 20 years of experience. Bjorkman was pleased to announce that another former FGM student has returned to the school for the next three months, this time as a student-teacher. Evan Ockerman, who graduated from FGM in 2021, will work with Grade 8 and 9 math students, Grade 7 and 9 phys. ed. and Grades 8 and 9 science and shop classes during his time back in the school. Ockerman was a student who 'always loved math and science,' and was well known as a force to be reckoned with on the school's volleyball team. The latter was a skill he took with him for his years at Red Deer Polytechnic, where he played on the college's volleyball team and says he 'made lifelong friends' in the process. Education-wise, he feels 'They have a good program there, and they have a 12-week practicum every year, which I think is better than the eight-week ones at the U of A and the U of Calgary. They do prepare teachers well, and they're very student-oriented.' Now, he's back at FGM 'and I like that I recognize the teachers from when I was here as an EA (educational assistant) for the Grade 7s three years ago. This is my final year of college, I'm here until the end of November, and then I can be paid for it." In the future, Ockerman says, 'I like the idea of staying somewhere near here. There's a huge need for teachers in the rural area, and it would be like giving back.' What he would best like to teach is phys. ed. 'and do some coaching, or math and science. I'd prefer those to language arts and social studies.' Whatever classes are in his future, he feels that they should include FNMI (First Nations, Metis and Inuit) awareness, inclusion and culturally relevant programming as it is part of our country's history. Special visit coming up at EPE Elk Point Elementary School is also back in session, with principal Garth Finlay welcoming a new vice-principal, Alyssa Kalynchuk, who came from Myrnam. The school's population increased to 188 students this year. The school will have its annual Welcome Back barbecue on Sept. 10, with an earlier than usual start at 4 p.m. to allow families time to attend before the Community Awareness Night at the Allied Arts Centre that evening, and they also have their Terry Fox Run on the calendar for Oct. 2. But Finlay has something even more exciting coming up in December, when students from both EPE and FGM will have the opportunity to talk to a former student who is headed off to space. Astronaut Josh Kutryk, who attended school in Elk Point when his father was the RCMP Sergeant, will be calling the school from his space adventure during the third week of December, 'and some students will get to talk to him on ham radio,' the principal says.