When I was first assigned to St. Michael Community School, I did not understand what a “community” school was. I attended Sunningdale Elementary School in Moose Jaw when I was growing up. It was your “typical” elementary school and it was way different than St. Michael Community School. I am glad I was placed at St. Michael School because it offered me insight into the difference of a community school. I asked the office manager, Marcia Appleyard and the community school coordinator, Denise what made a community school different from other elementary schools. They were both more than happy to talk about it! Denise’s job is mainly to work with students and their families to be supportive of them. Many of the student’s guardians are out of work or have a very low paying job. Denise job encompasses doing many things such as taking children to appointments and driving them to/from school. She also keeps food in her office to give to the students and/or their families, winter jackets/boots, Halloween costumes for the children to dress up in, personal items (such as body wash and shampoo), and also toys to give to the children. Denise also does check-ins with the children every once in a while to make sure that the students are doing well. She also helps kids join sports programs and connects students to agencies such as an agency that is able to help a student deal with a death in the family. Denise also has assisted suicide training to help students and families in need. Marcia Appleyard, the office manager, really wishes to see that the students succeed as well. She wants to make sure that the students’ attendance is high. She has a belief that for students to do well in school that they have to be present at school. If a student does not show up to school, then Marcia will call a resource officer and send the individual to the students’ door who did not show up for the day. Most students do not show up simply because the students’ parents slept in during the morning. The attendance rate at the school is now 95%. This is a huge improvement because a while ago the attendance rate was only 60%! Marcia also wishes to have an excellent relationship with the families of the students. She wishes to make the parents want to have their children educated at St. Michael Community School by explaining all of the benefits that there is by attending the school. She not only looks at the students, but she also looks at the families of the students to foster a better life for the student. The students have a life outside of school and every staff member at the school want the students to have a wonderful life outside of school and inside the school.