Recognized as one of Manitoba's Top Employers (2024):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Mar 18, 2024)
Here are some of the reasons why St. John's-Ravenscourt School was selected as one of Manitoba's Top Employers (2024):
- Located on a 23-acre campus on the Red River, employees at St. John's-Ravenscourt School have plenty of options to stay active, with access to a fitness centre (with trained staff), three gymnasiums, a movement studio, winter equipment such as cross-country skis and snowshoes available to borrow, a weekly staff hockey night during the October to April months and informal walking groups to join
- St. John's-Ravenscourt School supports new moms with maternity and parental leave top-up payments (to 90 per cent of salary for 17 weeks) and also offers parental leave top-up payments for new dads and adoptive parents (to 90 per cent of salary for 10 weeks) -- employees may also extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence
- St. John's-Ravenscourt School helps employees plan ahead with retirement planning assistance services and generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan -- and employees may be able to step away slowly with phased-in retirement work options
SJR embraces further education for its educators
Tanis Brown-Birch has never worked with such a dedicated group of people as she’s found in her three years at St. John’s-Ravenscourt School (SJR).
“The commitment, from the senior administration to the educational assistants, is fantastic; everyone is here to give their best,” says Brown-Birch, who is a kindergarten teacher and the lead teacher for kindergarten and Grade 1 classes at the K-12 independent school.
“Everyone is excited to be here every day, and it makes such a difference in the culture and the environment. You know everyone is going to step up and impressive things will happen.”
Three groups of people work together to make the school a standout, says head of school Jim Keefe.
“What makes this school particularly special is the way three constituents – the students, the parents, and the faculty and staff – work collectively to make sure students fulfil their potential and achieve the best possible results.”
In the past few years, the school celebrated its 200th anniversary, worked to reinvigorate its campus and refurbish a sports facility, and grew the student population to just under 900 students, says Keefe. The 23-acre campus is situated on a beautiful spot along the Red River in Winnipeg and there’s often wildlife spotted, such as deer.
One of the priorities of the school is professional development (PD), says Keefe.
“PD is a crucial part of what we offer for both our faculty and our staff to advance their careers,” he says. SJR encourages teachers to take master’s degrees and will help cover the cost of that. There are also programs available for those who may wish to move into leadership positions.
“And for staff on the support side, we’re keen to allow them to develop and study in areas that will enable them to enhance their careers and make a wider contribution to the organization. It’s not uncommon for them to support sports teams or to become involved in different parts of school life.”
The school also brings in a lot of guest speakers, says Brown-Birch, sometimes for the whole faculty and often more specifically for smaller groups. “There’s lots of room to grow.”
She also appreciates the times when staff are able to enjoy some “re-charging activities” such as volleyball games, yoga, guided meditation and book studies.
“They have different things we can do with our colleagues and have fun. It’s really nice,” she says.
The administration is good at celebrating the staff, she says, and Brown-Birch herself led a Sunshine Club last year that aimed to make everyone feel appreciated and cared for at the school.
“We did presentations in front of the dining hall and talked about every grade and the wonderful things they’re doing. We brought hot chocolate for the teachers, and we put up posters. We found a way to build community so everyone felt valued and respected. It was lovely.”
The school also celebrates diverse cultures and holidays, and as a Métis woman Brown-Birch appreciates seeing specific ways the Métis culture is included. “I’ve never seen that at other schools and it made me feel very welcome.”
The school follows the four pillars of academic excellence, active healthy living, social responsibility and creative expression.
“It’s a really dynamic mix of academics, arts, sports and music. We’ve got a wonderful student body here. It’s a very happy school to be at,” says Brown-Birch.
“It’s my dream job.”
