J. H. Bruns Collegiate

Infobox Education in Canada
name= J.H. Bruns Collegiate
imagesize= 275px
motto=
motto_translation=
streetaddress= 250 Lakewood Blvd.
city= Winnipeg
province= Manitoba
postalcode= R2J 3A2
areacode= 204
phone= 257-2928
fax= 253-2149
email=
url= [http://www.lrsd.net/schools/JHB/ J.H. Bruns]
schoolnumber=
schoolboard= Louis Riel School Division
superintendent=Terry D. Borys
trustee=
affiliation=
principal= Bob Town
viceprincipal= Karen Haluschak
administrator=
staff=
fundingtype= Public
schooltype= Secondary School
grades= Grades 9-12
language= English
area= Southdale
mascot= Horse
teamname= Broncos
colours= Blue/Yellow
founded= 1972
enrollment= 850+
enrollment_as_of=
lastupdate=

J.H. Bruns Collegiate is a secondary school in Winnipeg, Canada established in 1972.

Background

It was named after Brother Joseph H. Bruns S.M., who had a lengthy and renowned career as an educator in St. Boniface. He served as Superintendent for twelve of his thirty-six year career. The school opened its doors to students in the suburb of Southdale in September 1972, and has experienced many changes since its inception.

J.H. Bruns Collegiate is a secondary school (S1-S4) with an enrolment of more than 700 students. The staff at J.H. Bruns is committed to providing a positive environment with as many opportunities as possible for its students, and offers a varied curricula with a total of 130 courses.

History

J. H. Bruns Collegiate's history can be divided into three phases.One distinct phase of J. H. Bruns’ history occurred between 1972 – 1979.
*Mr. G. A. Guilbault, Principal 1972 – 1975
*Mr. Moe Oye, Vice-Principal 1972 - 1979, 1980 – 1996
*Mr. Hank Neufeld, Principal 1975 - 1980
*Mr. Leo Duguay, Vice-Principal 1979 - 1980

It should be noted that Mr. Moe Oye was a constant thread throughout the history of J. H. Bruns. With the exception of the year 1979 – 1980, when Mr. Oye was the Vice-Principal at Windsor Park Collegiate, he functioned as Vice-Principal of J. H. Bruns from 1972 – 1996.

Phase I September 1972 - June 1980

During Phase I, J. H. Bruns experienced some growing pains. The following outlines the developing school philosophy and the historical perspective of this period.

Philosophy: Liberal “Experimental Model”

During this phase, the school embraced a differentiated staffing model. In this model, the highly professional staff was committed to an open area and team teaching approach. The community of Southdale was also open to this new method of program delivery. Our community consisted mainly of parents employed predominantly as civil servants who would have preferred to be able to afford private schools but still placed a high value on education. The staff was very much connected to the community, but did not live there. They frequently contacted the homes of parents regarding student progress. The school was slowly evolving.

Historical Perspective

Initially, J. H. Bruns shared its gymnasium and sports facilities with the Southdale Recreation Association. This place some strain on facilities and extracurricular programs.

When the school opened, it functioned as a middle school offering grades V to VIII. Each year thereafter a grade was added.
*Grades V – VIII 1972 - 1973
*Grades V – IX 1973 - 1974
*Grades VII – X 1974 - 1975
*Grades VIII – XI 1975 - 1976
*Grades IX – XII 1976 – 1977

In September 1974 the grade VI’s went to Shamrock School and completed their grade VIII there.

During the 1974 – 1975 academic year, the open area, team teaching model evolved into the TRUMP model. The TRUMP model originated in Oklahoma, USA and was named after Lloyd Trump, an American educator. J. H. Bruns was third school in Canada to adopt this model, with the second being Bishop Carroll School in Calgary.

Many professional development trips were made to Calgary, Denver, and Minneapolis in order to perfect the delivery of programs using the TRUMP model. An important aspect of the model was the continuous progress concept. “Unit paks” were created by teachers, and the students worked at their own pace.

Another important aspect of the model was the Student Advisory Group (STAG). The STAG model meant a teacher met everyday with a cross graded group of students. The STAG teacher was responsible for the overall progress of his/her students. Thus the STAG teacher collected data from the subject teacher on these particular students. This included academic progress, attendance, and behavior data. The STAG teacher also contacted parents and conducted parent-teacher conferences for these students. It should be noted that the STAG teacher did not necessarily teach the student any of the courses. The STAG teacher also booked students into resource periods for extra instruction if it were deemed necessary.

In the late evening of October 30^th, 1975 a disastrous fire occurred at J. H. Bruns Collegiate. This placed an enormous strain on the day to day activities of the school. The fire originated in the upper level of the school. During this time classes were held in the gymnasium and the library. By the spring of 1976 classrooms were renovated, and a new wing was added to the school, which included the Industrial Arts and Human Ecology facility.

By 1976 the TRUMP model began to lose its prominence. Moreover, by the late 1970’s, the philosophy of Bruns started to shift to a much more formal academic structure. Parents expressed concerns about their children being prepared for university. “The times they were a changing.”

By June 1977, J. H. Bruns Collegiate held its first convocation exercises. Thus began Phase II at J. H. Bruns.

Phase II September 1980 – June 1996

The second distinct period in the history of the school occurred between 1980 – 1996. The administrators at the helm during this time frame were:

*Mr. Peter Janzen, Principal 1980 – 1996
*Mr. Moe Oye, Vice-Principal 1980 – 1996

Philosophy: Shift to Conservatism

J. H. Bruns still had a highly professional staff committed to high academic standards. The community continued to be comprised of mainly of parents employed predominantly as civil servants who would have preferred to be able to afford private schools but still placed a high value on education. The community had high expectations of the school, and the staff was still commuting to the community. Staff still called home frequently regarding student progress. This had its origins in the STAG system.

At this time the school was viewed as a strong academic school with a high percentage of its students going to university. In an ongoing study performed by the University of Manitoba of their first year students, it was shown that J. H. Bruns’ students performed extremely well.

Historical Perspective

During this time span, the open area concept of teaching became obsolete, and the semester system was firmly entrenched. The periods were eighty minutes in duration, and a full teaching load consisted of six courses, with three in each semester. The school became highly structured, and more walls went up. The open area model was completely disbanded, and the STAG system was terminated. Homerooms met on a “needs only” basis. It was also the end of continuous progress. Discipline at the school was enhanced. The classroom was the sole focus of monitored learning.

Budget cuts began in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and J. H. Bruns was, as other schools, severely affected. As a result, the structure of the semester system changed. The periods were now fifty-five minutes in length, with double periods of 110 minutes for each course twice in a cycle. There were also some courses that continued throughout the year, but met only every second day. The teaching load was now seven courses with a three and a half split each semester.

Department heads, which had been in existence since the school’s inception, were also cut at J. H. Bruns, and throughout the division due to budget restraint.

In addition, the provincial government mandated provincial exams in English Language, Arts and Mathematics in grade XII. The government also mandated the formation of Parent Advisory Councils in every school in the province if parents’ wishes.

At this juncture in J. H. Bruns’ history, the Learning Centre came into existence, In the early 990’s it was in its infancy and was designed to assist students with learning difficulties.

The addition of the Learning Centre signaled another change at J. H. Bruns. The school was entering a new phase. It was no longer a strictly academic school, preparing students only for university. The school began to accommodate students with various learning capabilities.

Phase III September 1991 - Present

This brought J. H. Bruns to another distinct period in its history. The administrators at the helm have been:
*Mr. Neil Johnson, Principal 1996 – 2001
*Mrs. Gail Atkins, Vice-Principal 1996 – 2002
*Mr. Bob Town, Principal 2001 – Present
*Mrs. Irene Nordheim, Vice-Principal 2002 - 2005
*Mrs. Marilyn Thorington, Vice-Principal 2005 – 2006
*Mrs. Karen Haluschuk, Vice-Principal 2006 - Present

Philosophy: Shift to a more Inclusive Model

J. H. Bruns still has a highly professionals staff committed to maintaining high academic standards with the community still having high expectations of the school and valuing education enormously. The staff continues to maintain a connection to the community by calling home frequently regarding students’ performance. Overall, J. H. Bruns has a caring and dedicated staff that continuously strives to accommodate students of diverse learning capabilities.

The school has now evolved from assuming that all students should be prepared for university entrance, to a reality that some students would better utilize their talents in other educational endeavours. The Learning Centre has now become a significant component of the school’s program and has been renamed Academic Prep.

At this juncture, the teacher’s role is not strictly classroom oriented. Teachers are expected to become active members of the school’s team. They are drawn in many directions and are more often called upon to be involved in many additional tasks, both curricular and extra curricular.

Historical Perspective

During this era J. H. Bruns’ history has been affected by many outside influences. There are provincial exams, with curricular changes that emphasize outcome based education. There are few “01” (general) courses. Technology use to enhance student learning has become a major thrust in the school.

Pierre Radisson Collegiate closed its doors to become the St. Boniface Arts and Technology Centre (now the Louis Riel Arts and Technology Centre). Students in the community who may have gone to Pierre Radisson in the past for special learning programs are now attending J. H. Bruns. Academic Prep becomes the key to success for many of these students. Senior I to Senior II students who have learning difficulties must be accommodated and mainstreamed into the classroom in order to advance to Senior III and go on to graduate from Bruns. The school is a much more inclusive community.

The government has also mandated an “open boundaries” model which has also influenced the school’s direction. Public relations and public image are very important, and the school is involved in a variety of activities to enhance its public image.

There has also been a change in the school’s timetable. The school has seventy-three minutes periods, with no double periods. A full teaching load continues to be seven classes. However, the teaching day has now been lengthened.

The Manitoba School Improvement Plan (MSIP) is also driving school change at J. H. Bruns, with many committees in place in order to facilitate this. One of the major innovations is school wide student portfolios which students will take with them upon graduation from the school. The project took four years to evolve from the original concept to its current implementation.

In summary, J. H. Bruns Collegiate has experienced changes in philosophy, faculty and facility.