Most youth coming to the Ranch have had little success in school. Frustration and failure have often led to anger or withdrawal. As a result, they are no longer interested in learning and may have fallen behind in school. To meet this challenge, we offer specialized education, accredited by the Independent Schools Branch of the government, which stabilizes youth’s behavior and builds academic skills.

Each of our three campuses has an education centre designed to provide academic assessment, modified programs, and behavioural stabilization in preparation for future educational placements.

There are also classrooms operated by the Ranch in schools in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina which provide youth with opportunities to integrate into mainstream education. Jody Wiesner is an education assistant at Queen Mary School in Prince Albert where the Ranch has two of these classrooms. Jody has worked at the Ranch for eight years. She started in the units on Buckland campus, worked in the independent living program, and five years ago transferred to the education team. She works with a teacher and supervises four to seven kids daily while also running the art and home economics department.

“We only have seven kids but they all have different needs. We have kids with academic education levels from pre-kindergarten to grade 11 levels,” Jody explained. “A lot of time we get the kids caught up because each one will be at a different grade level and we work with them to get them to the level they should be at. When they get to the level then they can go into a mainstream class.”

Employees in the Ranch education team are more than just teachers and assistants. They are nurses, social workers, confidants, and nurturers who have to deal with all the youth’s needs not just their educational ones.

“If they are having a bad day and need to talk then we will take time and talk to them, even if it takes all afternoon,” Jody explained.

Members of the Ranch education team are also trained in therapeutic crisis intervention, cultural awareness, first aid, and CPR. They also attended education presentations on a variety of topics with other members of the Buckland and Corman Park education teams.

Once kids are dropped off at the Queen Mary’s they are met by the teachers and Principal Tamara Nicolas, who also has an office in the school. Prior to class, Tamara will brief the education staff on how the night went in the units and create a plan for the rest of the day. Some of the youth go into mainstream classes while others go to mainstream class part-time and spend some, or all, of the day in the Ranch classes because they require more support.

Anytime they need, youth can drop into a Ranch class to talk or decompress from the stresses of the day. Jody explained, “We have a couch and chair and we even have a table that has a cushion under it, kids can go there for a quiet space.”

Ranch Ehrlo students are fully integrated into the school and after school activities. “We are involved in everything in the school; our kids play on the sports teams, some of our kids go out for recess. We are a part of the school and are including in everything. It’s an awesome relationship and Queen Mary has been very good to us and our kids.”