Cartwright School is a small K-12 school situated in southern Manitoba. Currently there are 116 students with 9.75 full time teachers. To provide extra support, there are also 6 educational assistants, an administrative assistant, and a part time librarian. Class sizes are small and are conducive to a nurturing environment where high achievement is expected and supported.

“LEARNING IS THE KEY TO EXCELLENCE” is our mission statement at Cartwright School. This value is shared by the parents who are actively involved. The Cartwright Parent Advisory Group meets once a month and acts as a liaison between home and school.  A variety of courses, including all core subjects, are offered through various means whether it be teacher instructed, IITV, WebCT, or Career Technology. The Career Technology and Apprenticeship courses allow students to complete credits outside of the school setting while learning important career skills. The school is very proud of their music program. A qualified music teacher offers private lessons and conducts choirs for children of every age. These programs allow students to shine in their own element and perform for different audiences. Sports are also an important part of life in Cartwright. Community members and teachers work together to offer a wide swath of sports which are offered during daily physical education classes and as after school activities. Excitement is growing as Cartwright anticipates the opening of their new skating rink that is the hub of activity throughout the cold winter months. There will be a fitness center in the complex which will allow the school to utilize the facilities in conjunction with the physical education curriculum.

The community of Cartwright began an initiative welcoming immigrant families into the area approximately 6 years ago. Presently, 31 of the 116 students are EAL. Because of this, the school has put a number of supports in place. An EAL class is offered 40 minutes a day to encourage small groups of students to become comfortable with the English language with oral and written activities. All staff is trained in EAL and has dedicated many hours of inservicing in order to accommodate this very exciting new dynamic in the regular classroom teaching. The school has purchased a number of resources that support these students as well. Again, the community and school work very closely with this: the local CEO helps the families acquire the necessary paperwork needed for school registration and the school entry process. Students, themselves have helped in the area of translation and have designed several brochures and picture dictionaries in their first language that highlight the school and community activities in order to support new families adjust to their new environment.  Evening EAL classes are also offered at the school to support the adults.

As you walk through the hallways of Cartwright School, at times, you will hear laughter and high activity and other times, there will not be a sound uttered. The activities are as diverse as each of the personalities within the building.