Tag: Alberta Education

From the Desk of the Superintendent- November 24, 2013

Well it is Grey Cup day and if the result is best for our neighbours to the east of us, there could be a provincial holiday called tomorrow. Although my Eskimos are not there, I will be certainly cheering green later today! Go Riders Go! This past week, I’ve had a number of opportunities to discuss …

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Moving ahead…now!

Earlier this week, a large group from our division participated in a facilitated conversation led by Mark Bevan and Karen Shipka from Alberta Education Workforce Planning Branch. The group included trustees, senior administration, principals, associate principals, ATA local executive, lead teachers and members of the PD Council. The purpose of the conversation with this varied group was to: …

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Is being connected an option?

This past weekend I had the pleasure of teaching my first graduate level course for Gonzaga University. The course focuses on leadership and school improvement. It is an especially pertinent topic as we continue to challenge our current model of education. The way we’ve always done things in our schools may be most comfortable for the …

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Taking our seat at the table!

This year, at our opening celebration and Spiritual Development Day, staff had the pleasure of listening to our keynote speaker, Mr. David Wells address our three year faith plan theme, “Taking Our Place at the Table!” The development of our faith plan is a grassroots endeavour co-created by interested staff members throughout the division. It …

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Creating Pathways to Success

The following article was written by me and published in the Lethbridge Herald on May 29, 2013. Although written from a Holy Spirit perspective, the article highlights the importance of creating multiple pathways for high school students. During this past year, my fellow superintendents and I have written about the changing face of education. Certainly the world …

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From the Desk of the Superintendent- My AISI Eulogy

On Thursday, the provincial government released the budget for 2013-14. As part of the education budget, one of the most successful grants to instill innovation for learning, the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) was eliminated. It would be easy to simply blame the government in making that decision, but not necessarily fair. While I’m …

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From the Desk of the Superintendent- March 2013

Today, March 2, 2013, I am in Medicine Hat, Alberta to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday. She doesn’t know that we have travelled down and so she will be quite surprised when we meet her and my dad at supper. When I left home at 17 to attend university, she was just 36 years old …

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From the Desk of the Superintendent- February 2013

February marks the mid-point of the school year, the start of the second semester or the third quarter. It also signals the beginning stages of planning; 3-year education, capital and annual budget for 2013-14.  There is a certain flow that occurs in the planning cycle in education. The government provides school jurisdictions with their Accountability Pillar …

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From the Desk of the Superintendent- December 2012

November is a busy month for senior administration and the Board of Trustees with a number of local and provincial meetings. Catholic Superintendents get together for two days of meetings to discuss issues directly related to Catholic education. I welcome the opportunity to connect with my colleagues from around the province and engage in some …

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